South Carolina Named 2nd Most Dangerous State for Drivers
Beaufort, SC, car accident lawyers explain why collisions are so common in the state.
A recent traffic safety study declared South Carolina the second most dangerous state in the country for drivers due to many serious car accidents, injuries, fatalities, and several other factors.
“While accidents can occur anywhere, some U.S. states have more dangerous roads than others,” said Forbes, which conducted a nationwide study that compared car accident data for all 50 states.
Sadly, such news is no surprise to our South Carolina car accident attorneys. That’s because the legal team at Twenge + Twombley has been helping car accident injury victims demand the money they deserve for years.
Breaking down the study
In the recent traffic safety study, Forbes ranked all 50 states on a 100-point scale, with 100 being the most dangerous state for drivers and zero being the lowest score and safest state. Forbes then compared car accidents statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) based on five different categories for each state:
- Car accidents deaths per capita
- Total car accident fatalities per capita
- Speeding-related car accident fatalities
- Drunk driving-related car accident deaths
- Percent increase in car accident deaths from 2019 to 2020
Based on this criteria, South Carolina was the second most dangerous state for drivers, scoring 41.8 out of 100. Montana was the most dangerous state in the country for drivers, with a score of 45.85 out of 100. The safest state was New Jersey, with a score of 9.15 out of 100.
Speeding fatalities are common in South Carolina.
One reason South Carolina did so poorly on the Forbes traffic safety study compared to other states is the large number of car accidents caused by speeding drivers.
According to the Forbes study, South Carolina has more speeding-related car accident deaths percentage-wise compared to all other states nationwide. Specifically, 46 percent of car accident fatalities in South Carolina involve speeding drivers.
Worst of all, the problem only seems to be getting worse. In 2020, the highest number of car accident deaths due to speeding – 494 fatalities – occurred in South Carolina in more than a decade, according to the latest NHTSA data. Or, to put such numbers in perspective, car accident deaths due to speeding in South Carolina have increased by 77.6 percent since 2011.
Drunk driving accidents are a serious problem.
Along with speeding, drunk driving remains a serious problem in South Carolina. That’s one of the reasons why Forbes gave the state such a bad score on the recent nationwide traffic safety study.
Overall, 36 percent – more than 1 in 3 – car accident deaths in South Carolina occur each year on average due to collisions caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol and legally impaired, which means they have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher.
In particular, drunk driving fatalities in South Carolina have increased dramatically since 2017, according to NHTSA data. And in one year alone, drunk driving deaths in South Carolina increased by 14.1 percent in 2020 compared to 2019.
Injured in a South Carolina crash? Contact Twenge + Twombley to see how an experienced car accident lawyer can help you.
South Carolina car accident claims can quickly turn into complicated legal cases. Even if another driver clearly caused your collision, don’t be surprised if the other driver denies doing anything wrong or if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement.
At Twenge + Twombley, we know exactly what to do in such situations. That’s because we have helped numerous car accident injury victims just like you. As a result, we know the law and understand which strategies can be the most effective.
Discover what we can do for you. Contact us and schedule a free case evaluation today at our Beaufort, South Carolina, law firm. We work on a contingency fee basis. That means you only have to pay us if we secure a financial settlement or verdict for you.