Greenville and Spartanburg Counties Lead South Carolina in Traffic Deaths So Far in 2024
Greenville County Tops Traffic Deaths
According to a recent report released by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Greenville County leads the state in highway traffic fatalities, with Spartanburg County coming in second. There were 35 recorded traffic deaths in Greenville County between January and June 2, while Spartanburg County witnessed a total of 25 deaths during the same period. Other counties such as Anderson ranked fifth, reporting a total of 16 fatalities.
The Role of Increasing Population and Poor Road Safety Habits
Mitch Ridgeway, a trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol, attributed the rising fatalities to a bourgeoning population in Greenville, resulting in a higher number of road users, and poor road safety habits prevalent among many drivers. Cases of excessive speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol were particularly noted. “It’s one of the fastest growing areas in the country…because it’s a popular place. There’s a lot of parts of Greenville that are extremely busy, and there’s a high traffic volume,” Ridgeway stated.
Comparative Statistics
When compared to other large population centers in the state such as Richland and Charleston, these counties registered only 18 and 23 traffic deaths respectively this year. The numbers from Upstate represent close to half a year of data, but they already surpass or are close to overtaking the total traffic deaths recorded in the entirety of 2023.
Growth and Unsafe Habits
Recent U.S. Census Bureau data shows that Greenville County experienced a population surge of 32,493 individuals since 2020, while Spartanburg County attracted 28,706 new residents during the same period. With this increase, it’s likely that there are more vehicles on the road, thus heightening the possibility of more collisions.
The Impact of Unsafe Driving
Official reports suggest that unsafe driving is a major contributing factor to the increase in fatalities. “Things like impaired driving are very preventable typically in 2024 because there’s more information out now than ever on the dangers of impaired driving,” Ridgeway highlighted. Greenville County Deputy Coroner Mike Ellis emphasized the danger of excessive speeds, arguing that it limits a driver’s reaction time and heightens the impact when collisions happen. Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger also pegged inattention, intoxication, excessive speeds, and the non-usage of seatbelts as leading causes of crashes.
Evidently, Greenville and Spartanburg Counties face a critical task in addressing the high rates of traffic fatalities. This will require concerted efforts to enhance road safety through effective public awareness and enforcement of traffic regulations.
