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1988

South Carolina in 1988

Deaths 1,031Fatal crashes 908Per 100,000 —US deaths 47,087

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. Final FARS file for 1988.

In 1988, 1,031 people died in 908 fatal crashes in South Carolina.

The death toll fell 5% from 1,086 in 1987 to 1,031 in 1988.

South Carolina accounted for 2.2% of the 47,087 crash deaths recorded nationally that year.

24.9% of the state's fatal crashes that year had at least one driver reported as drinking.

35% of the crashes happened between 6pm to midnight; Saturday was the most common day.

← 198719881989 →All years

Compared with 1987 and the nation

Measure	South Carolina 1988	South Carolina 1987	United States 1988
Deaths	1,031	1,086	47,087
Fatal crashes	908	968	42,130
Deaths per 100,000 residents	—	—	—
Crashes with a drinking driver	25%	36%	40%

Counties in 1988

Every county with a fatal crash in 1988, by deaths. Counts under three are shown as "1–2" (small-count rule); the per-100,000 column is blank for them. 46 counties listed.

County	Fatal crashes	Deaths	Per 100,000	Deaths 2015–2024
Spartanburg County	65	69	18.7	672
Greenville County	60	62	10.9	831
Charleston County	55	60	13.9	682
Horry County	47	55	13.3	714
Richland County	48	54	12.5	585
Berkeley County	37	44	16.6	410
Aiken County	35	44	24.5	321
Lexington County	38	40	12.7	501
Florence County	35	39	28.3	349
Anderson County	36	37	17.0	435
York County	32	37	12.2	338
Orangeburg County	28	36	43.3	387
Williamsburg County	21	25	83.7	114
Georgetown County	19	24	36.3	150
Lancaster County	19	24	21.5	167
Darlington County	22	22	35.2	213
Beaufort County	20	20	9.9	225
Pickens County	18	20	14.5	203
Colleton County	16	18	45.8	215
Greenwood County	16	18	25.7	124
Marion County	12	18	63.5	101
Sumter County	17	17	16.2	234
Laurens County	14	16	22.7	238
Newberry County	14	16	40.8	95
Marlboro County	11	16	62.8	103
Dorchester County	12	15	8.6	245
Oconee County	12	15	18.2	142
Chester County	14	14	43.3	135
Fairfield County	14	14	68.7	113
Clarendon County	12	14	45.1	146
Edgefield County	12	13	44.1	52
Cherokee County	11	13	22.5	160
Kershaw County	10	12	16.7	167
Chesterfield County	9	9	20.2	118
Lee County	8	9	56.4	64
Allendale County	5	9	119.2	28
Saluda County	8	8	41.1	42
Barnwell County	5	8	39.0	47
Dillon County	7	7	25.4	112
Jasper County	7	7	19.7	178
Bamberg County	5	7	54.4	35
Calhoun County	4	7	49.1	67
Abbeville County	5	6	24.4	48
Hampton County	5	5	27.5	64
Union County	3	3	11.2	71
McCormick County	1–2	1–2	—	32

Per 100,000 uses the 2024 population estimate for every year, so early-year rates are understated where a county has grown.

Hour of day

12am6.2%

1am3.2%

2am5.2%

3am3.8%

4am3.2%

5am2.7%

6am2.9%

7am2.8%

8am2.5%

9am2.3%

10am2.5%

11am2.1%

12pm2.9%

1pm3.2%

2pm4.1%

3pm4.9%

4pm5.5%

5pm5.1%

6pm6%

7pm5.9%

8pm6.1%

9pm6.2%

10pm5.4%

11pm5.4%

Weekday

Sunday16%

Monday12%

Tuesday11%

Wednesday8%

Thursday12%

Friday17%

Saturday24%

Questions and answers

How many people died in crashes in South Carolina in 1988?

1,031 people in 908 fatal crashes, according to NHTSA's FARS 1988 file.

Which county in South Carolina had the most crash deaths in 1988?

Spartanburg County with 69 deaths in 65 fatal crashes. The table on this page lists every county with a fatal crash that year.

How did 1988 compare with 1987 in South Carolina?

1,031 deaths against 1,086 in 1987 (+-5%). Nationally the 1988 total was 47,087.

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 1988 national file (accident table); US Census Bureau population estimates (no county estimates before 2000 are used, so no rate is shown for this year). Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026.