The Leading Causes of Car Accidents in South Carolina

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Everyone knows about the dangers of drunk driving and how alcohol played an outsized role in fatal traffic collisions and single vehicle crashes.  Catastrophic accidents represent only a small share of all collisions, though.  Every day, cars collide on the roads of South Carolina, although the number of collisions has steadily declined by a small percentage for the past few years.  There is a car accident somewhere in South Carolina every 3.7 minutes, and approximately three people per day die in South Carolina traffic collisions.  More than 70 children below the age of eight get injured in car accidents each year in South Carolina.  Most of these collisions do not involve outrageously dangerous actions like driving into oncoming traffic, exceeding the speed limit by 50 miles per hour, or driving after a drinking binge.  Rather, they result from ordinary mistakes that anyone could make. These are the leading causes of car accidents in South Carolina:

Driving at Unsafe Speeds

According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, excessive speed caused more than 39,000 accidents in 2019 and led to 217 deaths.  This includes not only instances of drivers exceeding posted speed limits but also driving at unsafe speeds that are specific to road conditions.  For example, in snow, ice, or heavy rain, the safest speed is much slower than the posted speed limit.

Failing to Yield the Right of Way

Failure to yield the right of way was the second leading cause of traffic collisions in 2019.  It played a role in 28,600 accidents, including 100 fatalities.  In many of these collisions, one driver was correctly following a road sign or traffic light, while another driver broke the rules and caused a collision.

Following Too Closely

The severity of rear-end collisions varies according to the speed that the vehicles are traveling, but following another vehicle too closely always increases the chances of a collision.  In 2019, 11,100 accidents resulted from one car following another too closely, and one person died in one of these accidents.

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving caused 9,000 collisions and seven fatalities in South Carolina in 2019.  The distractions that led to these accidents were mostly in the form of cell phones and in-car displays connected to drivers’ cell phones.  Even apps that are supposed to help you drive, such as GPS navigation, can cause distractions that can lead to collisions.

About The Stanley Law Group

The Stanley Law Group was established over 30 years ago and is comprised of a group of attorneys who have more than 100 years of combined legal experience along with a staff that prides themselves on being honest, aggressive, competent, and dependable. With a proven track record of success, The Stanley Law Group handles catastrophic injury cases, including injuries resulting from auto accidents, tractor trailer accidents, slip and falls, medical malpractice, and wrongful death.

If you or a loved one is involved in an accident at no fault of your own do not hesitate to contact the injury law professionals at The Stanley Law Group by visiting www.thestanleylawgroup.com or calling 803-799-4700 for a free case evaluation.