Common Causes of Car Accidents in South Carolina: An Overview

Car accidents are common everywhere, but it doesn’t mean people have to accept high accident rates. Technology made incredible advances in safety engineering, better driver education. In addition, the strict enforcement of traffic rules and regulations can lower accident rates. The most common causes of accidents in South Carolina include distracted driving, drunk driving, driver fatigue, reckless driving, tailgating, failure to yield the right-of-way, and teen driving. Let’s see today some details regarding the most common causes of car accidents in South Carolina and the steps you need to take to prevent them.

If unfortunately, you are involved in a collision or a car crash, you need to see a doctor first and a lawyer second. It’s important to hire a car accident lawyer in Columbia, SC, if you engage in any minor collision or massive crash. In case you are at fault, you could face liabilities, criminal charges, and blots on your permanent record without expert legal representation. Getting legal help is crucial, especially if you are the victim of another driver’s negligence. A legal team will fight by your side to get the compensation you deserve. Before we delve into South Carolina’s driving specifics, keep this in mind: if you get involved in a car accident in this state, get legal representation from this state.

What Do Statistics Say about Car Accidents in the U.S.?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA for short, about 5.7 million car accidents occurred in the United States in 2019 and 28,190 deaths in the first nine months of 2020.

South Carolina Vehicular Accidents: Causes and Solutions

In South Carolina, vehicle crash deaths increased 19 percent from 823 to 979 in a year. Injuries rose 10.5 percent from 53,029 to 58,604. An overview of the most common causes of South Carolina car accidents follows.

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving poses great risks, and drivers routinely get distracted without giving the matter much thought. Causes of distracted driving include texting, talking on the phone, arguing with passengers or children, eating on the go, fiddling with the radio, and even trying to watch films in entertainment centers. Distracted driving causes 18 percent of crashes that generate injuries. As prevention methods go, listen to what authorities have to say: focus on one thing at a time. When you are driving, drive and pay attention to everything related to driving. That text message can wait.

Impaired Driving

Everyone knows that driving drunk is a bad idea, but they forget when drunk or don’t realize they’re drunk or even impaired. You can also be unfit to drive when taking medication or using recreational drugs. A blood alcohol content of 0.08 is enough to convict you of D.U.I., and you can be held liable for any accident injuries or property damages. Get a designated driver when you go out for drinks or use ridesharing services. Moreover, pay attention to any pills or medication that might impair your driving abilities. If you are not sure how your meds affect your physical or mental prowess, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Driver Fatigue

Unfortunately, no test or evidence proves driver fatigue, making it one of the most insidious causes of crashes. No standard criteria exist that can prove driver fatigue, and after an accident, both drivers are usually wide-awake if conscious. Drowsiness slows reaction times. NHTSA estimates that 21 percent of crash deaths in South Carolina are caused by fatigue. That drowsiness might root in other health problems or even some O.T.C. medication you might take, so if fatigue is an issue for you (behind or not the wheel), discuss matters with your doctor.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving includes speeding far over the speed limit, road rage, cutting drivers off, riding on road shoulders at high speed, braking suddenly, and weaving access lanes. According to sccourts.org, South Carolina law defines reckless driving as a disregard for the safety of property or people. In South Carolina, a reckless driving conviction is a criminal misdemeanor, and it can’t be removed from your permanent record.

Tailgating

Tailgating is driving too closely behind another vehicle. This action reduces your space for stopping safely, and the offense is an aggressive driving habit designed to force other drives to accelerate. Unfortunately, it’s more likely to cause a rear-end collision if the driver in front of you stops suddenly. South Carolina prohibits following too closely, and officers can usually determine this from forensic accident evidence.

Failure to Yield the Right-of-Way

Failure to yield the right-of-way is a common problem among all age groups of South Carolina drivers. Ignoring the right-of-way is common when drivers hurry to make a left turn or run a red light, thinking they have enough time. In addition, drivers frequently ignore the right-of-way of other drivers when trying to change lanes and pass vehicles on two-lane highways.

Teen Driving

Teen drivers have always had high accident rates and comparably high insurance rates. Teenagers don’t have much driving experience but are overly confident. Unfortunately, that can be a deadly combination. In South Carolina, teen drivers can drive alone at the age of 15 with a conditional license. However, they can only operate a vehicle alone between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. According to NHTSA, 2,042 teen drivers were killed in 2018. The primary causes of teen vehicle crashes include distracted driving and speeding.

Bottom Line

South Carolina does not differ much from the other states regarding the common causes of car accidents. Nobody should drink and drive, text while driving or take anxiety medication in the morning to drive to work. We don’t even want to discuss speeding and tailgating. In other words, if you drive in South Carolina (and everywhere else, for that matter), follow the rules and make sure you don’t risk your life or anyone else’s. Drive safely at all times!