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2003

South Carolina in 2003

Deaths 969Fatal crashes 905Per 100,000 23.3US deaths 42,884

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 2003.

In 2003, 969 people died in 905 fatal crashes in South Carolina, 23.3 deaths per 100,000 residents against 14.8 nationally.

The death toll fell 8% from 1,053 in 2002 to 969 in 2003.

South Carolina accounted for 2.3% of the 42,884 crash deaths recorded nationally that year.

43% of the state's fatal crashes that year had at least one driver reported as drinking.

34% of the crashes happened between 6pm to midnight; Saturday was the most common day.

← 200220032004 →All years

Compared with 2002 and the nation

Measure	South Carolina 2003	South Carolina 2002	United States 2003
Deaths	969	1,053	42,884
Fatal crashes	905	949	38,477
Deaths per 100,000 residents	23.3	25.6	14.8
Crashes with a drinking driver	43%	47%	35%

Counties in 2003

Every county with a fatal crash in 2003, 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
Horry County	71	73	17.7	714
Spartanburg County	46	48	13.0	672
Lexington County	42	48	15.3	501
Richland County	42	46	10.7	585
Greenville County	42	45	7.9	831
Florence County	37	38	27.5	349
Orangeburg County	32	36	43.3	387
Berkeley County	32	35	13.2	410
Anderson County	33	34	15.7	435
Charleston County	31	34	7.9	682
Sumter County	31	32	30.5	234
York County	30	31	10.2	338
Aiken County	28	29	16.2	321
Dorchester County	28	29	16.6	245
Darlington County	24	27	43.3	213
Jasper County	23	26	73.0	178
Pickens County	23	25	18.1	203
Beaufort County	20	23	11.4	225
Colleton County	20	22	56.0	215
Chesterfield County	20	21	47.2	118
Lancaster County	20	20	17.9	167
Kershaw County	18	20	27.9	167
Laurens County	17	17	24.1	238
Williamsburg County	16	16	53.6	114
Oconee County	14	16	19.4	142
Clarendon County	14	15	48.3	146
Marion County	13	14	49.4	101
Chester County	13	13	40.2	135
Georgetown County	12	13	19.7	150
Hampton County	10	12	66.0	64
Fairfield County	9	12	58.9	113
Dillon County	11	11	39.9	112
Greenwood County	9	11	15.7	124
Cherokee County	10	10	17.3	160
Lee County	10	10	62.7	64
Abbeville County	9	10	40.6	48
Newberry County	9	9	23.0	95
Union County	7	7	26.2	71
Marlboro County	6	6	23.5	103
Allendale County	5	5	66.2	28
Edgefield County	4	5	17.0	52
Barnwell County	4	4	19.5	47
Calhoun County	4	4	28.1	67
Saluda County	4	4	20.6	42
Bamberg County	1–2	1–2	—	35
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

12am3.8%

1am3.2%

2am5.9%

3am3.4%

4am4%

5am3.8%

6am3.4%

7am3.1%

8am2.5%

9am2.2%

10am2.5%

11am2.9%

12pm2.9%

1pm3.2%

2pm4.1%

3pm4.1%

4pm6.1%

5pm5%

6pm7.4%

7pm5.1%

8pm4.3%

9pm5.6%

10pm5.6%

11pm5.9%

Weekday

Sunday15%

Monday11%

Tuesday11%

Wednesday13%

Thursday12%

Friday16%

Saturday21%

Questions and answers

How many people died in crashes in South Carolina in 2003?

969 people in 905 fatal crashes, according to NHTSA's FARS 2003 file, or 23.3 per 100,000 residents.

Which county in South Carolina had the most crash deaths in 2003?

Horry County with 73 deaths in 71 fatal crashes. The table on this page lists every county with a fatal crash that year.

How did 2003 compare with 2002 in South Carolina?

969 deaths against 1,053 in 2002 (+-8%). Nationally the 2003 total was 42,884.

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2003 national file (accident table); US Census Bureau population estimates. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026.