Expedite I-26 safety measures

A horrendous crash on I-26 near Chapin that resulted in the deaths of eight people in 2000 galvanized the state's interest in quickly implementing preventive measures throughout South Carolina. A similar sense of urgency should accompany the Department of Transportation's efforts to improve safety along dangerous stretches of I-26, east of I-95.

Our Watchdog report on Sunday cited two so-called "death zones" on rural I-26, where the fatality rates are far higher than on other more heavily traveled portions of the interstate. Fifty-three fatalities have been recorded along those segments over the past 10 years.

The solution may not be as simple as the safety cables installed in the median of interstate highways in expedited fashion after the 2000 crash, whose victims included five children. The safety cables have proven extremely effective in halting crossover accidents, with more than 18,000 "hits" since their installation.

According to DOT officials, the danger zones cited in The Post and Courier wouldn't allow for the installation of the safety cables erected elsewhere across the state. But there are other ways to reduce the hazards on these segments, totalling 20 miles. Those could include guardrails, removal of trees and diminishing the steepness of the slope off the highway. And though safety cables haven't been used as such, they could provide a barrier to trees in the median. Where feasible, that could reduce the necessity of clear-cutting those trees -- an action DOT officials recognize would not be generally applauded by residents.

DOT safety engineer Brett Harrelson said the state is looking at the I-26 segments in question as well as other interstate stretches with high accident rates. Some of those segments share the same characteristics as those along I-26. Mr. Harrelson said a proposed solution may be several months away.

Even then, funding could be a problem. The State Infrastructure Bank's $30 million allocation, which funded the installation of safety cables, is exhausted. Mr. Harrelson tells us that the repair of the cables has been a considerable expense, with motorists' insurance paying for only about 40 percent of the damage when they are struck.

Indeed, many drivers are able to drive away after striking the cables and never report the accident. That's a cost to the state, but reflects the cables' capacity to prevent serious accidents.

We'd say the money for safety cables has been well spent, both in construction and repair. So would money spent on a safety solution for the danger zones along I-26. The sooner that suitable preventive measures can be undertaken, the better.