Encouraging News About Drunk Driving Statistics In South Carolina

Of all the dangerous driving behaviors out there, driving drunk is one of the most dangerous.  Alcohol plays a role in about one third of traffic fatalities.  South Carolina has one of the highest number of DUI accidents in the country, despite its relatively small population, even though, nationwide as well as in South Carolina, the prevalence of drunk driving is nowhere near where it was in the 1970s, before laws against drunk driving went into effect.  In light of recent tragedies such as the accident where a drunk driver struck a golf cart carrying four members of a wedding party, it is easy to feel that no one is safe.  The holiday season, from Thanksgiving until New Year’s, is peak season for drunk driving everywhere in the country, and South Carolina consistently ranks above the national average in alcohol-related accidents during the holidays.  The good news is that, after a spike in drunk driving during the lonely days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of DUI incidents has been slightly lower this year; one reason could be the increased use of ignition interlock devices to prevent repeated drunk driving.  If you got injured where the driver was under the influence of alcohol, contact a Columbia car accident lawyer.

South Carolina Saw Fewer Alcohol-Related Accidents and Fatalities This Year

By 2019, the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities and injuries were at the nadir of a decades long decline.  Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and you couldn’t go to bars to socialize or visit friends in their homes; there was nothing to do but get drunk at home and then go for a drive in an effort to outrun your loneliness.  DUI accidents began increasing again; in 2021, there were more than 700 collisions where alcohol played a role.  In 2022, 45 people in Greenville County, South Carolina died in DUI accidents, the highest number in many years.

In 2024, the number declined.  There were only 482 DUI accidents in Greenville County, including five fatalities.  This is the lowest number since before the pandemic.  A reason for the decrease in drunk driving incidents could be the more widespread use of ignition interlock devices.  An ignition interlock device is a breathalyzer testing device that attaches to the car’s steering column.  The car will not start unless the device detects that the driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) is below 0.08 percent, which is the legal limit.  South Carolina recently implemented a new law in which the courts order defendants convicted of first offense DUI to use an ignition interlock device for several months; previously, ignition interlock devices were only required after repeat DUI offenses.  This may have contributed to the decrease in DUI accidents.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you pursue a complaint related to a drunk driving accident.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Sources:

greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2024/12/16/south-carolina-and-greenville-statewide-dui-totals-improve-since-covid/76925072007/

abcnews4.com/news/local/south-carolina-enforces-ignition-interlock-for-all-dui-offenders-by-may-2024-wciv-abc-news-4-south-carolina-department-of-probation-parole-and-pardon-services