Crash Closes Lanes on Highway 21 in Beaufort County, South Carolina

BEAUFORT COUNTY, SC- Wtoc.com writes that a crash occurred in South Carolina at the McTeer Bridge this week. Emergency crews responded to the collision, and delays took place in the southbound lanes.* 

Reports included few details regarding the cause of the crash, the number of vehicles involved, or whether any injuries to place in the impact. In general, South Carolina ranks among the most dangerous places to drive a car in the United States. One study found that South Carolina places third on a list of the most dangerous states for motorists. Part of the reason is likely the fact that South Carolina lacks strict laws preventing drivers from operating cars while using hand-held electronic devices. 

Distracted driving is a known danger and causes many fatal collisions across the United States every year. States differ in their laws when it comes to prohibiting the use of phones while driving. Many states now have laws prohibiting people from using a hand-held device while operating a car and have made the law a primary offense. Primary offenses are those that police officers can pull a driver over for, as opposed to secondary offenses that a driver may be cited for, but only after the officer has pulled them over for a separate primary offense. 

One study suggested that South Carolina’s low fine for distracted driving fails to deter people from engaging in this potentially deadly behavior. Drivers cited for using a phone to text while operating their cars in South Carolina are only subjected to a $25 fine. Furthermore, drivers rarely face this minimal fee because the law only prohibits texting and driving, and police officers struggle to enforce the texting ban. It is particularly difficult to prove that a person was using a phone to text rather than for another purpose that the law does not prohibit. 

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.wtoc.com/2020/10/06/sb-lanes-hwy-mcteer-bridge-blocked-after-crash/

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