Tragic Crash Reported in Georgetown County, South Carolina (SC)

GEORGETOWN COUNTY, SC- Wbtw.com writes that a two-vehicle collision occurred in Georgetown County this week that appears to have led to at least one fatality.*

Reports state that the incident happened in the evening and involved a smaller vehicle and a bus. The two vehicles collided head-on at the intersection of Fraser Street and US 701. Few details are currently available regarding the collision.

Head-on collisions can quickly become deadly even at relatively modest speeds. Studies suggest that at 43 mph, a head-on impact will be likely to result in fatal injuries. There are many roads throughout the United States with speed limits far higher than 43 mph, but where few infrastructure measures are taken to prevent cars from traveling across the centerline. Crash tests determining the crashworthiness of vehicles involved in front end collisions are only carried out at approximately 40 mph and typically involve impacts between cars of close to the same size and weight. 

Designing vehicles that are able to effectively protect occupants in the event of a head-on collision at higher speeds is extremely difficult. The forces exerted in these crashes are intense, and even vehicles considered safe cannot offer any guarantee in the event have a head-on collision, especially one with a bus or large truck. 

When it comes to staying safe and avoiding deadly head-on collisions, safety experts recommend that drivers stay off of any road where the speed limit exceeds 40 mph unless that road is divided down the middle by some form of median or traffic barrier. Of course, drivers should also always use their seatbelts because even cautious and attentive motorists are at the mercy of other drivers on the road. Many crashes occur in the blink of an eye and will not leave much time for drivers to react. Nearly half of people killed in car accidents in 2017 did not have their seatbelts on at the time. 

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/georgetown-county-news/fatal-crash-reported-in-georgetown-county/

https://www.thecarcrashdetective.com/how-to-survive-a-head-on-collision-slow-down-to-below-43mph/#:~:text=To percent20put percent20it percent20simply percent2C percent20if,no percent20higher percent20than percent2043 percent20mph.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/seat-belts