COLUMBIA, S.C. — With the holidays approaching, concerns about drinking and driving are front and center as more travelers prepare to hit the road.

State troopers and alcohol-prevention experts say Thanksgiving weekend is one of the busiest and most dangerous travel periods of the year.

According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, there were 1,407 collisions during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period last year. Nine people were killed, and four of those deaths were linked to impaired driving.

Michelle Niehius, with the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services, said many people underestimate how much alcohol they’re actually consuming.

“For instance, if we’re consuming a beverage that may have two or three liquors mixed in, that’s consuming t

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