Fatal Roads

States › South Carolina

SC

State

South Carolina

Residents 5,478,831Deaths 2024 1,038Deaths 2015–2024 10,473Counties 46Routes with pages 105

FARS data are based on police crash reports and other sources; the drunk-driving measure is based on the highest BAC of any driver in the crash. Latest data year: 2024.

South Carolina recorded 1,038 deaths in 948 fatal crashes in 2024, the latest year in NHTSA's FARS, and 10,473 deaths over 2015–2024.

That is 20.3 deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 72% higher than the national rate of 11.8. The ten-year total rose 15% from 9,121 in 2005–2014 to 10,473 in 2015–2024.

Relative to the national shares, speeding stands out most: 40.2% of fatal crashes against 27.2% nationally. 58.5% of the state's fatal crashes were on rural roads and 51.8% happened after dark.

Among counties with at least 50 deaths in the ten years, the highest rates per 100,000 residents were in Jasper County (58.5), Colleton County (56.3) and Fairfield County (52.4).

1,038deaths in 2024948 fatal crashes
20.3per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–2024US 11.8
+15%ten-year change in deaths9,121 → 10,473
32%crashes with a drinking driverUS 26%

Trend since 1975

05991,198197519801985199019952000200520102015202020241975: 820 deaths1976: 806 deaths1977: 927 deaths1978: 883 deaths1979: 900 deaths1980: 852 deaths1981: 846 deaths1982: 730 deaths1983: 844 deaths1984: 916 deaths1985: 951 deaths1986: 1,059 deaths1987: 1,086 deaths1988: 1,031 deaths1989: 996 deaths1990: 979 deaths1991: 890 deaths1992: 807 deaths1993: 846 deaths1994: 847 deaths1995: 881 deaths1996: 930 deaths1997: 903 deaths1998: 1,002 deaths1999: 1,065 deaths2000: 1,065 deaths2001: 1,060 deaths2002: 1,053 deaths2003: 969 deaths2004: 1,046 deaths2005: 1,094 deaths2006: 1,045 deaths2007: 1,077 deaths2008: 921 deaths2009: 894 deaths2010: 809 deaths2011: 828 deaths2012: 863 deaths2013: 767 deaths2014: 823 deaths2015: 979 deaths2016: 1,020 deaths2017: 989 deaths2018: 1,036 deaths2019: 1,006 deaths2020: 1,066 deaths2021: 1,198 deaths2022: 1,094 deaths2023: 1,047 deaths2024: 1,038 deaths
People killed in crashes in South Carolina by year, 1975–2024. Latest point: 2024, 1,038 deaths.

Rate per 100,000 residents, 2000–2024

013272000200520102015202020242000: 26.52001: 26.12002: 25.62003: 23.32004: 24.82005: 25.62006: 242007: 24.22008: 20.32009: 19.52010: 17.52011: 17.72012: 18.32013: 16.12014: 17.12015: 202016: 20.62017: 19.72018: 20.32019: 19.52020: 20.82021: 23.12022: 20.72023: 19.42024: 18.9
Deaths per 100,000 residents in South Carolina and nationally, 2000–2024. Latest point: 2024, 18.9. this page United States

Year pages: 20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975

Compared with the nation

MeasureSouth CarolinaUnited States
Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–202420.311.8
Deaths per 100,000 residents, 202418.911.5
Deaths, 2015–202410,473389,190
Deaths per fatal crash1.11.1
Change vs previous ten years+15%+7%
Share of the national toll2.7%100%

Factors

Alcoholcrashes with a driver reported as drinking32.2%
Speedingcrashes with a speeding-related driver40.2%
Pedestriansshare of people killed15.7%
Motorcyclistsshare of people killed15.4%
Unrestrainedoccupant deaths with no restraint used53.2%
In darknesscrashes after dark51.8%
Rural roadscrashes on rural roads58.5%

tick marks the US share. Bars are shares of fatal crashes (alcohol, speeding, darkness, rural) or of people killed (pedestrians, motorcyclists, unrestrained occupants) over the ten-year window.

Counties ranked by rate

Deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024. Small counties on through routes can rank high on few deaths; the deaths column gives the scale. Counties with fewer than 10 fatal crashes in the ten years show no factor shares.

#CountyResidentsDeaths 2015–2024Per 100k / yrDeaths 2024AlcoholSpeeding
1Jasper County35,61817858.51731%42%
2Colleton County39,25921556.31737%39%
3Fairfield County20,36911352.41037%43%
4Calhoun County14,2496746.5627%55%
5Orangeburg County83,12938745.34838%48%
6Clarendon County31,03014644.9929%53%
7Chester County32,32313541.9838%44%
8Marlboro County25,49810339.093%53%
9Dillon County27,57711238.31416%51%
10Lee County15,9586438.2445%53%
11Williamsburg County29,86511437.0930%52%
12Laurens County70,54523835.11741%54%
13Hampton County18,1726433.8523%37%
14Marion County28,36810133.71419%51%
15Allendale County7,5512833.61–231%35%
16McCormick County9,9833233.2432%57%
17Darlington County62,42521332.92233%48%
18Cherokee County57,77016028.22046%41%
19Chesterfield County44,48811826.31033%43%
20Union County26,6787126.11044%45%
21Bamberg County12,8703525.5331%41%
22Florence County138,04934925.32832%41%
23Kershaw County71,69816725.01038%47%
24Newberry County39,2039524.8835%54%
25Georgetown County66,03515023.62016%43%
26Barnwell County20,4954722.4846%51%
27Sumter County104,77623422.12339%38%
28Anderson County217,18343521.34530%37%
29Saluda County19,4524221.3839%46%
30Spartanburg County369,25667220.56626%43%
31Horry County413,39171420.05827%33%
32Abbeville County24,6074819.6444%51%
33Edgefield County29,4555219.1628%48%
34Aiken County179,24532118.72930%47%
35Oconee County82,47514218.01436%38%
36Berkeley County264,27641017.73733%40%
37Greenwood County70,04112417.7538%39%
38Lancaster County111,65216717.02030%31%
39Lexington County313,77450116.85436%38%
40Charleston County431,00168216.66132%36%
41Greenville County570,74583115.79432%29%
42Pickens County138,20720315.72126%37%
43Dorchester County174,66324515.03835%37%
44Richland County430,65158514.06338%37%
45York County303,00133812.13437%41%
46Beaufort County201,77522511.82729%33%

Routes with the most fatal crashes

#RouteTypeFatal crashesDeathsAlcoholSpeeding
1US Route 17US highway43947623%24%
2Interstate 26Interstate29834228%48%
3Interstate 95Interstate22826916%52%
4US Route 76US highway20421134%33%
5US Route 52US highway17919020%32%
6US Route 25US highway17018121%21%
7Interstate 20Interstate16217629%52%
8US Route 21US highway15417429%40%
9State Route 9State highway15016324%35%
10Interstate 85Interstate14216221%50%
11Interstate 77Interstate13915839%50%
12US Route 29US highway13514524%29%
13US Route 176US highway13414025%35%
14US Route 1US highway13414624%30%
15US Route 15US highway9911033%35%
16State Route 34State highway9810538%42%
17US Route 501US highway959915%23%
18US Route 378US highway8910423%29%
19US Route 321US highway879222%31%
20US Route 278US highway869224%30%
21US Route 301US highway859428%32%
22State Route 6State highway838745%46%
23US Route 221US highway768929%33%
24US Route 178US highway768534%41%
25US Route 521US highway758431%31%
26State Route 20State highway747637%46%
27State Route 72State highway687743%50%
28State Route 61State highway687244%38%
29State Route 41State highway677325%45%
30US Route 78US highway657326%37%

Signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024; 105 routes in South Carolina qualify. Local streets and county roads are not listed. Long routes carry more traffic and so more crashes; this is a count, not a rate.

Time of day and day of week

12am3am6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pm
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat

Fatal crashes in South Carolina by weekday and hour, 2015–2024: darker cells are busier. 9,692 crashes with a known hour and weekday.

By weekday

Saturday19%
Friday15%
Sunday15%
Wednesday13%
Thursday13%
Monday13%
Tuesday12%

Light condition

Daylight43%
Dark, not lighted37%
Dark, lighted10%
Dark, lighting unknown5%
Dusk3%
Dawn2%

Road type

Minor arterial34%
Other principal arterial32%
Major collector11%
Interstate11%
Local9%
Other freeways and expressways2%
Minor collector1%

FHWA functional classes (FARS FUNC_SYS), share of fatal crashes with a reported class; tick marks the national share. What the classes mean.

Questions and answers

How many people died in crashes in South Carolina in 2024?

1,038 people in 948 fatal crashes, per NHTSA's FARS annual file. Over 2015–2024 the total is 10,473.

How does South Carolina compare with the national rate?

20.3 deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024, against 11.8 nationally; in 2024 alone, 18.9 against 11.5.

Which counties in South Carolina have the most fatal crashes?

By deaths over 2015–2024: Greenville County (831), Horry County (714) and Charleston County (682). The county table ranks by rate per 100,000 residents instead, which is a fairer comparison across sizes.

What share of fatal crashes in South Carolina involved alcohol or speeding?

32.2% of fatal crashes in 2015–2024 had a driver reported as drinking (US: 26.3%) and 40.2% had a speeding-related driver (US: 27.2%).

Which routes in South Carolina have the most fatal crashes?

US Route 17 (439 fatal crashes, 2015–2024), Interstate 26 (298 fatal crashes, 2015–2024) and Interstate 95 (228 fatal crashes, 2015–2024). Route pages exist for signed routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in the ten years.

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System annual files 1975–2024; US Census Bureau Population Estimates Program. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026. See methodology, sources and corrections.