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South Carolina is not the safest state to drive in, a new report states.
SC has one of the highest rates of traffic deaths in the U.S., according to 4Pointsback.com, an SC company that continuously updates traffic safety data in the state.
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To determine the Palmetto State’s traffic fatality rate, the group used the most recent data from the SC Department of Transportation, the SC Department of Public Safety, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. All data is from 2024.
Here’s how deadly SC’s roads are and how it compares to other states:
SC’s traffic fatality rate
According to the study, SC has the 3rd-highest traffic fatality rate per mile driven in the U.S.
The state had 1.67 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2024. The national average is 1.19 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles.
Additionally, SC recorded 1,038 traffic deaths in 2024, a rate of 18.9 per 100,000 residents, the 4th-highest rate in the nation.
Several factors play into this report. In 38% of SC’s fatal crashes, speeding contributed, while the national rate was 29%. An estimated 41% of SC drivers killed in crashes had a BAC of 0.08% or higher, well above the 31% national rate.
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SC also had the highest share of car-occupant deaths of any state in the nation, sitting at 38%.
There is still some positive news. SC’s rate may be among the worst nationally, but fatal crashes fell 9% in 2024, the lowest in at least seven years, and 18% from 2021.
This year, SC’s fatality rate continues to drop.
SC traffic deaths this year
All traffic fatality numbers in SC have decreased since the same time last year, according to the SCDPS.
For example, as of Monday, there have been 598 fatal crashes throughout SC in 2026, down 48 deaths from 2025. The number of persons killed has also gone down from 687 in 2025 to 633 in 2026, a difference of 54 people.
Pedestrian deaths have gone down slightly from 118 to 115 in a year.
Most dangerous states to drive through
The South is notorious for its dangerous driving conditions, and the following numbers show why. Here are the five most deadly states for driving:
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- Mississippi: 1.81 motor vehicle crash deaths per 100 million miles
- Arizona: 1.74 motor vehicle crash deaths per 100 million miles
- SC: 1.67 motor vehicle crash deaths per 100 million miles
- Arkansas: 1.53 motor vehicle crash deaths per 100 million miles
- Tennessee: 1.52 motor vehicle crash deaths per 100 million miles