Five Vehicle Collision Injures Four on Highway 17 in Horry County, South Carolina (SC)

HORRY COUNTY, SC- Wbtw.com writes that four people were injured in a crash in Horry County this week. The incident involved four vehicles that collided at the intersection of Highway 17 and Kings Road. Officers with the South Carolina Highway Patrol responded to the scene and reported that in total, seventeen people were in the involved automobiles.*

The information regarding the crash is limited. 

One recent study found that South Carolina is one of the worst states in the country when it comes to car crash casualties. With an average of 20.5 deaths per 100,000 people, the Palmetto State lands in third place. Mississippi and Alabama were the only states with higher numbers of fatalities recorded. 

The study was focused on the impact of distracted driving on road safety. South Carolina has done a relatively poor job of preventing drivers from engaging in conduct that is unsafe while operating a vehicle. While South Carolina does have a ban on texting and driving, the state has not instituted a handheld device ban. When drivers are not allowed to use their phones to text, but other uses are permitted, enforcement of the law becomes more challenging. An officer must actually subpoena a person’s phone records to determine what they were using the phone to text rather than for a permitted use. 

In 2016, only 53 people in the state were cited for distracted driving. Those who were in violation of the law were subject to a fine, which in South Carolina is a minimum of just $25. In Delaware, 13,061 people were ticketed for distracted driving, and the minimum fine was $100. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or a family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Sources:

https://www.wbtw.com/home/at-least-four-injured-in-five-car-crash-along-highway-17-friday-night-hcfr/

https://www.wistv.com/story/38030136/sc-ranked-no-3-deadliest-state-for-fatal-car-crashes-study-says/

https://www.live5news.com/2020/03/10/charleston-considering-ban-handheld-devices-while-driving/