Trooper: Welcome to South Carolina, buckle up and be safe on the road
"My biggest thing here is to be able to let people know we (the South Carolina Highway Patrol) are concerned about their safety as they travel through the state." - Lance Cpl. Ron Johnson South Carolina Highway Patrol
By TIM GULLA Ledger Staff Writer tim@gaffneyledger.com

Ledger photo / TIM GULLA Lance Cpl. Ron Johnson of the South Carolina Highway Patrol (left) shares a laugh with Jean and Neal Goodson of Arlington, VA, at the Interstate 85 rest stop and visitors center in Cherokee County. Johnson conducts "Safety Breaks" during most major travel holidays to greet travelers and impart some words of wisdom about roadway safety.

Setting up shop outside an Interstate 85 rest stop just a few miles from the North Carolina border on a rainy Friday morning, Lance Cpl. Ron Johnson extended his hand to greet traveler after traveler stopping by to rest their eyes, legs or simply to stretch.

"Where are you from," the South Carolina Highway Patrol officer asked everyone who walked by.

The folks who made the rest stop, almost every one of them happy to come over and shake his hand, replied with answers like Ohio, Minnesota and West Virginia.

While many, like Neal and Jean Goodson of Arlington, VA, were just passing through South Carolina on their way somewhere else, Johnson said his goal was quite simple.

"My biggest thing here is to be able to let people know we (the South Carolina Highway Patrol) are concerned about their safety as they travel through the state."

Johnson, who serves as a public information officer for the Highway Patrol, devotes at least a portion of his shift during each of the major travel holidays to conduct "Safety Breaks" at roadside rest stops in his coverage area.

He distributes information as best he can on potential delays and road construction areas.

He listens to concerns, answers questions, talks to children about his job, and all the while imparts a few words of wisdom about staying safe.

Pointing to the stickers he was handing out Friday, Johnson said, "It says 'Buckle Up South Carolina' but we want them to buckle up wherever they go."

As of Friday, there had been 1,058 fatalities on South Carolina roadways in 2007, including 17 in Cherokee County. Of the 799 people who died and who had access to seatbelts, 495 of them were not wearing them.