December 23, 2010 – There were fewer deaths on South Carolinian highways this year than last, according to a new report from the South Carolina Highway Patrol. As reported at ABC News 4, the number of highway fatalities has decreased rather dramatically compared to 2009.
Although there is still a chance for more highway deaths in the remaining days of 2010, the South Carolina Highway Patrol reports that there have been 755 fatal accidents so far this year. That’s much less than the 873 fatal accidents reported in 2009. In fact, in the past 47 years, there have only been 2 years when the highway fatality rate was less than 800. Even so, the head of the South Carolina Highway Patrol says drivers should exercise caution in the next few weeks, as the state’s highways will be clogged with holiday traffic.
While it is good news that highway deaths are decreasing, these statistics do not include fatalities that may have occurred on smaller non-highway roads. It’s also not yet known if the total number of traffic deaths is also going down. Either way, please drive carefully this holiday season.