Florence County, South Carolina – Florence County drivers can expect to see extra enforcement on the roads through the end of June, as the Florence County Sheriff’s Office prepares to carry out traffic safety checkpoints across the county.
The agency announced Thursday that deputies will conduct checkpoints at several undisclosed locations during May and June 2026. Officials said the effort is aimed at identifying impaired drivers and helping prevent crashes before they turn deadly.
“Florence County Sheriff’s Office deputies will be conducting traffic safety checkpoints at various locations in Florence County during the months of May and June, 2026. The focus of the operations is the detection of impaired drivers and the prevention of motor vehicle accidents,” the release states.
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Authorities did not list the exact dates, times or locations of the checkpoints. That approach is common in enforcement operations of this kind, allowing law enforcement to keep the element of surprise while also warning the public that impaired driving will draw attention.
The checkpoints are part of a broader, ongoing push to reduce serious and fatal crashes in Florence County and across the Pee Dee region. FCSO has issued similar notices in previous months, including earlier 2026 checkpoint plans, as deputies continue routine traffic enforcement efforts tied to roadway safety.
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Such operations are often connected to wider regional enforcement work through the 12th Circuit Law Enforcement Network, which includes agencies in Florence and Marion counties, along with the South Carolina Highway Patrol and other local partners.
These coordinated efforts usually focus on the behaviors most often linked to severe crashes, including impaired driving, speeding and distracted driving.
The renewed enforcement comes as traffic deaths remain a major concern in the region. Preliminary figures for 2026 show Florence County recorded five traffic fatalities between Jan. 1 and May 11, down from 12 during the same period in 2025.
While that early-year drop is encouraging, officials are still working against a troubling longer-term pattern.
Florence County ended 2025 with 36 traffic fatalities, up from 28 in 2024. That increase placed added pressure on local and state agencies to keep aggressive traffic safety measures in place, especially during busier spring and summer travel periods.
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South Carolina has continued to face one of the nation’s higher rates of alcohol-impaired driving deaths, and impaired driving remains a major factor in fatal crashes statewide. For local agencies, checkpoint operations are one way to get ahead of the problem before a night on the road becomes another emergency call.
Residents can follow updates from the Florence County Sheriff’s Office through the agency’s official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FlorenceCountySheriffsOffice/
