After three South Carolina state troopers were struck by vehicles in the past month — one of them fatally — the Highway Patrol is launching a new initiative aimed at keeping its officers safe on the job.

The weeklong effort, called Operation Keep Us Safe, began in mid September, and involves troopers working in pairs to stop drivers who fail to yield to emergency vehicles. The campaign is a collaboration among the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Department of Transportation, and Highway Patrol.

“Do not subject another mother to lose her son. Please move over,” said Lois Rao, whose son, Senior Trooper Michael Rao, was killed in 2002 while responding to a stalled vehicle on Interstate 95. “On that fateful June 10th, one driver did not pay attention to those flashing blue lights on Mike’s cruiser.”

The renewed attention to roadside safety comes after recent crashes that injured Senior Trooper Mitchell Williams Jr. and Master Trooper Wayne H. LaBounty, and claimed the life of Trooper First Class Dennis D. Ricks last month.

“There is only so much our troopers can do to control the conditions and environment on the side of an interstate with vehicles flying by at speeds often higher than the posted speed limits,” said Colonel Williamson, who oversees the South Carolina Highway Patrol. He emphasized that safe driving is a shared responsibility between law enforcement and motorists.

As part of the initiative, state agencies are also distributing “safe driver” signage across South Carolina to remind drivers to slow down and move over for emergency responders.

At the patrol’s Columbia headquarters, a memorial honors troopers who have died in the line of duty. For Master Trooper Devon Cougler, who was severely injured in 2022 and spent 18 months recovering, the message is deeply personal.

“I still have to recover daily since my accident in October 2022,” Cougler said. “Being able to put this uniform on every day is a blessing to me.”

Williamson said he hopes Operation Keep Us Safe serves as a reminder that state troopers are people with families who deserve to return home safely.

“Safe driving isn’t just something to do this week,” he said. “It’s something to practice 24/7.”

The Highway Patrol encourages all motorists to follow South Carolina’s “Move Over” and Hands-Free Driving laws.