Which state has the most car accidents? – Summerville, S.C., a city of about 53,000 people 24 miles north of Charleston, has been cited as one of the cities with the highest number of car accidents in the nation.
The list of most dangerous cities for traffic accidents was compiled by online car insurance broker Insurify based on its database of more than 2.5 million car insurance applications. Insurify ranked cities according to the number of local drivers who reported one or more car accidents on their record for which they were at fault.
The company says the list depicts “the cities with the highest share of accident-prone drivers,” and that “the 20 cities with the highest proportion of those drivers were identified as the cities with the most accidents.”
Summerville is one of seven South Carolina municipalities ranked among U.S. cities with the most car crashes in 2020.
Further, Insurify says, national statistics show that drivers have been driving more recklessly during the COVID-19 pandemic and that this has caused the rate of fatal crashes to increase between the first and second quarter of 2020 from 1.10 to 1.42 deaths per million vehicle miles traveled.
“Each time a driver gets on the road, they risk being involved in a car crash, no matter how slim the chances seem,” Insurify says. “It follows that the more vehicle miles traveled, the more likely a driver is to be involved in an accident – and in 2020, that susceptibility (was) higher, due to the increase in dangerous behavior on the roads.”
Based on that methodology, Summerville ranks No. 16 in the nation among cities with the most car accidents.
What Report Says About Summerville?
- “Percentage of drivers with a prior at-fault accident: 17.50%
- “Driving levels compared to January 2020 (Dorchester County): +21%”
Seven South Carolina Cities on List of Car Accident Threats
The seven South Carolina cities on the Insurify list of drivers with a prior at-fault accident are:
- No. 1: Johns Island – Percentage of drivers with a prior at-fault accident: 21.6%
- No. 5: Rock Hill – Percentage of drivers with a prior at-fault accident: 18.70%
- No. 10: Goose Creek – Percentage of drivers with a prior at-fault accident: 18.14%
- No. 12: Charleston – Percentage of drivers with a prior at-fault accident: 18.06%
- No. 13: Greer – Percentage of drivers with a prior at-fault accident: 17.83%
- No. 16: Summerville – Percentage of drivers with a prior at-fault accident: 17.50%
- No. 18: Spartanburg – Percentage of drivers with a prior at-fault accident: 17.42%
Across all U.S. cities, 12.40% of motorists have an at-fault accident on their record, Insurify says. Compared to the national average, the 20 cities with the most accidents have at least 40% more accident-prone drivers than the national average.
The South Carolina Department of Public Safety maintains a daily count of all South Carolina traffic fatalities. For all of 2020, there were 1,018 people killed in motor vehicle accidents of all kinds in South Carolina.
From January 1 to January 12, 2021 – less than two weeks – 27 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents in South Carolina, more than two a day. In 2020, 20 people had died in motor vehicle accidents by January 12.
The state’s database shows 20 fatalities in the Summerville area from January 1, 2020 through January 12, 2021, all occurring in 2020. In October, an 18-year-old man was charged in a fatal crash that killed three members of a Summerville family at the corner of Nexton Parkway and Brighton Park Boulevard in Summerville, an intersection that local residents call dangerous.
Causes of Car Accidents in South Carolina
Sometimes, fatal car accidents can be properly blamed on road design. According to The Post and Courier, a median full of trees makes it difficult for drivers to see oncoming traffic at the intersection at Nexton Parkway and Brighton Park Boulevard in Summerville, and there is no traffic signal. But State Highway Patrol troopers also said the driver arrested for the fatal accident there in October was speeding, traveling about 70 mph in a 40 mph zone, at the time of the crash.
Car accident studies have for decades indicated that speeding, whether exceeding the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions, is a contributing factor in about one-third of all car accidents.
Our car accident attorneys represent people injured by negligent drivers in Summerville and across South Carolina. We investigate car accidents of all kinds.
The most common causes of car accidents in addition to speeding are:
- Distracted driving, particularly texting while driving, talking on a phone, eating, talking to people in the vehicle, and other activities that take attention away from the task of driving.
- Impaired driving, including drunk driving, drugged driving, and drowsy or fatigued driving.
- Aggressive driving, which includes speeding, tailgating, disregarding traffic signals, unsafe passing, etc., and shouting at other drivers.
- Inexperienced driving among teens, who have a higher rate of fatal crashes than older drivers, mainly because of immaturity, lack of skills, and lack of experience, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says. They make mistakes, and they get distracted easily – especially if their friends are in the car. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens.
Contact a Summerville, SC, Car Accident Attorney
If your life has been shattered by an auto accident, our Summerville car accident lawyers can help you put the pieces back together. We can work to make sure you receive all of the compensation you are due for losses caused by a negligent or reckless driver.
Joye Law Firm serves Summerville, SC, from offices in Charleston and accepts cases from across South Carolina at our offices in Columbia, Clinton, and Myrtle Beach. Contact Joye Law Firm today. Contact us at 877-941-1019 or use this online contact form to schedule your free case review.
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