York, SC Road Safety Overview
With a history that stretches back before the first European settlers arrived in the 1750s, the city of York, South Carolina, is one of the largest national historic districts in the state. It is home to just a few thousand people; however, even in this small community in northern South Carolina, car accidents in York can suddenly occur, leaving you or your loved ones seriously injured.
You might be surprised how common car accidents in York and York County are. Car crash data show not only the frequency with which these incidents happen but also inform the steps you can take to lessen your chance of being involved in one.
York and York County Car Accident Stats
Approximately 6,200 car crashes were recorded in York County in 2022, which is about 500 per month. Twenty-eight of these were fatal crashes, 100 resulted in serious injuries, and 1,198 led to other injuries. The remaining collisions only caused property damage.
The York Police Department was responsible for investigating 153 of these collisions. Although the department did not respond to any fatality crashes, it did respond to nine serious injury wrecks and 31 other injury crashes. The York City Sheriff’s Office was called to five additional injury crashes.
State Highway Patrol Troop 1-7 responded to the most fatality and serious injury crashes in York County. In 2022, troopers were present for 22 fatality crashes and 48 serious injury wrecks.
Finally, seven motorcyclists and two pedestrians suffered fatal injuries and were killed in accidents in York County. Twelve moped riders and 14 bicyclists were also involved in nonfatal crashes.
Common Causes of York Motor Vehicle Wrecks
Distracted driving was the most common contributing factor that led to crashes. Nearly 2,000 accidents were due to driver inattention. However, running off the road was the factor that contributed to the most fatality accidents: ten fatal crashes were due to this factor alone.
The other most commonly encountered circumstances that led to accidents were:
- Driving too quickly for the current road conditions
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Improper lane changes and lane usage
These five factors combined accounted for nearly all of the collisions in York County, including 24 of the county’s 28 fatality accidents.
Most Dangerous Roads and Times of Day
Five roads in York County were identified as being the site of numerous accidents. Interstate 77 was the deadliest road identified; it experienced three fatality wrecks in 2022. SC-167 was the next most deadly road, as two fatal accidents occurred on that highway.
The road with the highest number of crashes of any type was US-21: 695 accidents were reported on this roadway.
Although motor vehicle wrecks happened at all hours of the day, fatality crashes were more likely to occur between 9:00 p.m. and midnight, 9:00 a.m. to noon, and 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sixteen fatality crashes were recorded as happening between these timeframes.
Road Safety Considerations for York Drivers
York is not one of South Carolina’s largest cities, so the chances of being involved in a crash in York are not as great as they are elsewhere. Nonetheless, the risk of a crash is not non-existent: thousands of people are impacted by accidents each year throughout the county and in York itself.
By avoiding the most common contributing factors and exercising greater caution during high-risk hours, you can take some control over your car crash risk. Exercising more caution on roads where more accidents have historically occurred can further help mitigate your risk of harm.