Drive anywhere in the Charleston County area and you’ll find yourself in a traffic jam at some point, and it almost doesn’t matter what day of the week it is or what time.
But when it comes to speeding, especially as you approach the Sea Islands, eager drivers seem to take advantage of the area they deem remote and off the beaten path from the larger areas of Charleston County.
But not anymore.
Dan Kortvelesy, the newest member of the Seabrook Island Town Council since 2022, attributed the work of the Public Safety Committee for the recent crackdown on speeding drivers along the Betsy Kerrison Parkway and Seabrook Island Road.
As the liaison for the Seabrook Island Public Safety Committee, he formally recognized their due diligence during the August 22 Town Council meeting. After many conversations with Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano, the decision was made on the County’s part to split the already overwhelming amount of land they cover in district 10 into another district, which is now district 11.
Kortvelesy described former district 10’s massive size as being all of Seabrook Island, all of Kiawah Island, Johns Island and Wadmalaw, all the way to Maybank Highway and over to the Johns Island Bridge. The new district 11 will take on Seabrook Island, Kiawah Island and the lower Johns Island area from Edenville down to Bohicket Road.
He said, “This will allow for a smaller space for law enforcement to patrol because now the sheriff can split the districts up.”
Speaking to the crowd in Town Council chambers, he added, “Traveling down Betsy Kerrison, there have been more traffic stops, and I hope you weren’t a part of that.” He said that they also asked law enforcement if they could patrol from the traffic circle to Landfall Way.
“Basically, when the sign says 35, it’s 35,” Kortvelesy continued. “The deputies have been stopping a lot of cars on Seabrook Island Road.”
All security, including speeding, is handled by SIPOA. Kortvelesy said the Public Safety Committee will be meeting with their security representatives in September. “The bottom line is that you will be seeing more patrols on the roads in and around Seabrook,” he noted.
Kortvelesy concluded his update saying that the Public Safety Committee will evaluate the speeding issues in about six months to see if there have been any improvements. “We engaged with the sheriff’s department and they responded. Now let’s see the fruits of our labor."
