Edgefield is one of the safest places to drive in South Carolina. The traffic accident rate in Edgefield County is among the lowest in the state. And the traffic fatality rate puts Edgefield County in the second-lowest quintile in South Carolina.
However, drivers in Edgefield still suffer from car accidents and motorcycle accidents. Curious about Edgefield car accident statistics? In this guide, we’ll explore the facts from the past year and the lessons you can learn from them.
Traffic Accidents in Edgefield County
Edgefield County had 319 traffic accidents in 2019. Of these, four caused fatalities, and 127 caused injuries. In total, 190 motorists and motorcyclists were injured in traffic accidents in Edgefield County in 2019.
Edgefield County had no pedestrian accidents or bicycle accidents in 2019. One traffic accident injured a moped rider. The county had five motorcycle accidents in 2019. These accidents resulted in one death and four injuries.
Most of the traffic accidents in Edgefield County fell within the jurisdiction of the South Carolina Highway Patrol. The highway patrol investigated 279 traffic accidents in the county. These accidents typically occurred on US-25 and US-378.
All of the fatal accidents in Edgefield County happened on highways that fall under the jurisdiction of the highway patrol. In total, the highway patrol investigated four highway fatalities that resulted from four separate traffic accidents. The highway patrol also investigated 111 injury accidents that injured 179 people.
The Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office only investigated two traffic accidents in 2019. These accidents happened outside of the city limits of North Augusta, Edgefield, and Johnston but not on highways that fell under the jurisdiction of the highway patrol.
Traffic Accidents in the City of Edgefield
The Edgefield Police Department investigated the 21 traffic accidents that happened within the city limits of Edgefield. Of these 21 accidents, eight accidents caused injuries to 11 people. No fatal accidents happened in the city limits.
The most dangerous roads and intersections in the city include:
- US-25, which had 56 accidents that resulted in 59 injuries
- SC-23/Columbia Road/Main Street/Jeter Street, which had 19 accidents, seven injuries, and one death
- S-19-34/Penn Street/Sweetwater Road, which had 16 accidents and eight injuries
Outside of Edgefield’s city limits, S-19-53/Briggs Road had 15 accidents, seven injuries, and one fatality. SC-230 had 21 accidents and 15 injuries.
Causes of Traffic Accidents in Edgefield
The South Carolina Department of Public Safety publishes an annual report based on all of the police accident reports issued during the year. South Carolina law requires drivers to report all accidents that result in death, injury, or property damage greater than $1,000.
The police investigate these accidents and issue an accident report. This accident report contains the police officer’s findings based on witness statements and the physical evidence at the accident scene.
The accident report can help support a personal injury claim because it will often explain how the accident happened and who caused it.
Some common causes of traffic accidents in Edgefield include:
- Speeding – identified as a cause in 169 accidents
- Failure to yield – identified as a cause in 48 accidents
- Poor directional control – identified as a cause in 34 accidents
- Intoxicated driving – identified as a cause in 28 accidents
Notably, distracted driving was not identified among the top five causes in Edgefield. In the rest of the state, distracted driving is the fourth-leading cause of traffic accidents.
DUI in Edgefield
Edgefield had an unusually high number of accidents caused by intoxicated driving. Edgefield’s 28 DUI accidents resulted in 11 injuries and one death.
Under South Carolina law, a DUI accident that results in great bodily injury can land you in jail for 30 days to 15 years. A judge can sentence you to one to 20 years in prison for a DUI accident that kills someone.
Seat Belt Use in Edgefield
In 2019, residents of South Carolina wore their seat belts 90.3% of the time. In Edgefield, seat belt use had a significant impact on the outcome of an accident.
In Edgefield, 4% of accident victims were not wearing a seat belt at the time of their accident. For those who did not wear a seat belt:
- 4% died
- 33% suffered an injury
- 63% escaped injury or death
The remaining 96% of accident victims were wearing a seat belt during their accident. For these accident victims:
- 0.2% died
- 30.7% suffered an injury
- 69.2% escaped injury or death
Based on these statistics, those who failed to wear a seat belt were 20 times more likely to die in a traffic accident than those wearing a seat belt.
Motorcycle Accidents in Edgefield
Motorcycle accidents in Edgefield produced injuries and deaths at a much higher rate than auto accidents. Edgefield had five motorcycle accidents in 2019. These accidents resulted in one death and four injuries. This means that 100% of motorcycle accident victims suffered an injury or death.
For comparison, Edgefield had 314 auto accidents that resulted in 198 injuries and 3 deaths. This means that 64% of auto accident victims suffered an injury or death.
The risk of death was much higher for motorcyclists than motorists as well. 20% of motorcycle accident victims died, while only 1% of auto accident victims died.
Finally, the risk of injury was higher for motorcyclists. 80% of motorcycle accident victims suffered an injury. Only 63.1% of auto accident victims were injured.
Lessons Drawn from Edgefield Car Accident Statistics
Driver behaviors cause most of the accidents in Edgefield. Speeding is the most common cause of accidents in Edgefield. Watching your speed could reduce your odds of getting into a car accident.
Failure to yield and intoxicated driving also cause a lot of accidents in the city. You can avoid these accidents by minimizing distractions and driving sober.
Most importantly, if you ride a motorcycle, wear a helmet. The risk of injury or death in a motorcycle accident is surprisingly high. A helmet can improve your odds of surviving a motorcycle accident.
Contact a Skilled Edgefield County, SC Auto Accident Lawyer At Hawk Law Group Today
To learn more about the injury compensation you can seek for your car or motorcycle accident in Edgefield, contact the experienced legal team at Hawk Law Group. You can meet with one of our lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your accident and your injuries.
