Aiken has a good record for car accidents, especially when the town is compared to the rest of South Carolina. The number of annual traffic collisions in Aiken is roughly average, while annual traffic fatalities are slightly better than average.
This makes Aiken a fairly safe place to drive, particularly when compared to bigger cities like Charleston or Columbia.
But this does not mean that Aiken has no traffic problems. On the contrary, Aiken has thousands of car accidents every year. These accidents injure hundreds of drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
Here are some car accident statistics from Aiken, SC, and some lessons you can learn from them.
Car Accidents in Aiken County, SC
In 2019, Aiken County reported 4,081 traffic accidents. Of these, 3,048 caused property damage, but no injuries or deaths. The property damage only (PDO) collisions usually involved single-car accidents that struck parked cars or other stationary objects.
1,005 of Aiken County’s 4,081 accidents injured at least one person. These injury accidents included 19 injured pedestrians, ten injured bicyclists, seven injured moped riders, and 52 injured motorcyclists. In total, 1,514 people suffered injuries in traffic accidents throughout Aiken County.
28 of the traffic accidents in Aiken County caused at least one fatality. The people killed in traffic accidents in 2019 included two pedestrians, four motorcyclists, and four bicyclists. In 2019, 30 people died in Aiken County traffic accidents.
Most of the accidents in Aiken County happened outside of the city limits for Aiken. 2,255 of the 4,081 accidents in the county fell under the jurisdiction of the South Carolina Highway Patrol. These accidents happened primarily in three areas: I-20, US-1, and US-25.
The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office investigated an additional 19 traffic accidents. These accidents happened between the incorporated cities. For example, the sheriff’s office has jurisdiction over accidents on SC-19 and SC-302, where the state highways run between towns.
Car Accidents in the City of Aiken
In 2019, the Aiken Police Department investigated 1,062 traffic accidents within the city limits. Within the city of Aiken, there was only one traffic fatality in 2019. An additional 267 accidents injured 410 motorists, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
The most dangerous roads and intersections in Aiken in 2019 included:
- Whiskey Road/SC-19, which had 406 accidents
- Pine Log Road/SC-302, which had 236 accidents
- The intersection of Whiskey Road/SC-19 and Pine Log Road/SC-302, which had 56 accidents
- The intersection of York Street/US-1 and Rutland Drive/SC-118, which had 51 accidents
Several other roads and highways just outside of the Aiken city limits, like I-20, were the site of large numbers of accidents in 2019, as well.
Causes of Accidents in Aiken
South Carolina law requires police officers to prepare a report after investigating an accident that causes a death, an injury, or property damage over $1,000.
In most cases, the investigation will include interviews of witnesses and those involved in the accident. The police officer determines the cause of the accident and notes the cause in the accident report.
The South Carolina Department of Public Safety uses these accident reports to analyze the causes of traffic accidents.
In 2020, the most common causes of traffic accidents in Aiken County included:
- Speeding, which contributed to 1,190 accidents
- Failure to yield, which contributed to 982 accidents
- Poor directional control, which contributed to 868 accidents
- Distracted driving, which contributed to 564 accidents
- Tailgating, which contributed to 304 accidents
Aiken County also had 203 drunk driving accidents. These accidents resulted in eight deaths and over 100 injuries.
Seat Belt Use in Aiken
In 2019, South Carolinians wore seat belts 90.2% of the time. Wearing a seat belt made a significant difference in the risk of injury.
Among the people involved in Aiken traffic accidents, 2.5% were not wearing a seat belt while 97.5% were wearing a seat belt.
Those who were not wearing a seat belt:
- Died 3% of the time
- Suffered an injury 44.5% of the time
- Escaped an injury or death 52.5% of the time
By contrast, those who wore a seat belt:
- Died 0.1% of the time
- Suffered an injury only 15.8% of the time
- Escaped an injury or death a whopping 84.1% of the time
This means that accident victims in Aiken who did not wear a seat belt were 30 times more likely to die in a crash than those who did.
Motorcycle Accidents in Aiken
Motorcycle accidents produced fatalities and injuries at a much higher rate than car accidents. South Carolina had 2,098 motorcycle accidents in 2019. Of these, 5.9% resulted in a fatality, and 75.2% resulted in an injury.
Aiken’s small number of motorcycle accidents follow this pattern. Aiken had 56 motorcycle accidents in 2019. 7.1% of these motorcycle accidents resulted in death and 73.2% resulted in an injury.
For comparison, Aiken had 3,983 auto accidents in 2019. 0.5% of these accidents resulted in a fatality, and 38.0% resulted in an injury. This means that motorcyclists were 14 times more likely to die in a crash and nearly twice as likely to die in a crash when compared to drivers or riders in standard motor vehicles.
Lessons Drawn from Aiken Car Accident Statistics
Driving in Aiken is safer than driving in the rest of South Carolina. But you can take steps to reduce your risk of getting injured or killed in a traffic accident. Most accidents in the area result from speeding. With this in mind, it can help to watch your speed, especially during rainy weather.
Distracted driving and failing to yield appropriately also caused a lot of accidents in Aiken. Paying attention while you drive can help you to avoid inadvertently causing an accident.
If you ride a motorcycle, you have a much higher risk of injuries or death in the event of an accident. Wear a helmet and ride defensively as you anticipate auto drivers’ careless or aggressive actions.
Contact The Car Accident Law Firm in Aiken County, SC Of Hawk Law Group For A Free Consultation
If you are injured in an accident in or near Aiken, SC, make sure to reach out to a skilled personal injury attorney.
To discuss the injuries you have suffered in a car, motorcycle, pedestrian, or bicycle accident in Aiken, contact Hawk Law Group. We can schedule a free consultation to discuss your accident and the compensation you might seek for your injuries.
