4 Points Back. “SC Deadliest Highways.” 4pointsback.com. Last updated July 23, 2026. https://4pointsback.com/south-carolina-driving-statistics/deadliest-highways/
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Jump to: Quick Facts · National Ranking · Deadliest Stretches · Dangerous Intersections · Top 10 Statewide · By City · Methodology
A single 91-mile stretch of Interstate 77, from Rock Hill to Cayce, recorded 90 fatal crashes in five years — and South Carolina has three interstates ranked among the deadliest in the entire country.
These South Carolina deadliest highways statistics identify the specific interstate corridors, highways, and intersections where fatal crashes concentrate most — each one named and sourced, not a generic “avoid the interstate” warning.
Quick Facts
- Nationally, South Carolina’s I-95 ranked as the 4th-deadliest interstate segment in the country, and I-85 ranked 5th, per a recent interstate safety analysis.
- The I-77 corridor between Rock Hill and Cayce (91 miles) recorded 90 fatal crashes between 2019 and 2023, placing it among the nation’s most dangerous interstate segments.
- I-95’s roughly 200-mile stretch through South Carolina averages approximately 30 traffic fatalities per year, according to a Car Insurance Comparison analysis of federal crash data.
- Between 2008 and 2018, I-95 in South Carolina was the site of 244 crashes and 301 fatalities — a decade-long toll that has kept it the state’s most consistently dangerous highway.
- SCDOT has announced a major I-85 corridor study beginning in 2026 specifically to identify safety improvements for the accident-prone route.
- The intersection of I-26 and Ashley Phosphate Road, near North Charleston and Goose Creek, has been identified in SCDPS collision reports as the most dangerous intersection in the state.
South Carolina’s Interstates: National Danger Ranking
| Interstate | National Danger Rank | Specific SC Data Point |
|---|---|---|
| I-95 | 4th deadliest nationally | ~30 deaths/year on SC’s ~200-mile stretch |
| I-85 | 5th deadliest nationally | SCDOT corridor safety study begins 2026 |
| I-77 (Rock Hill–Cayce) | Among nation’s most dangerous segments | 90 fatal crashes, 91 miles, 2019–2023 |
Source: National interstate safety ranking as reported by WSOC-TV and the Rock Hill Herald (January 2026); I-95 fatality data from Car Insurance Comparison analysis of federal crash data.
South Carolina’s Deadliest Highways: The Specific Stretches
I-77: Rock Hill to Cayce
91 miles, 2019–2023. This corridor’s congestion near the Lake Norman area has been flagged as a contributing factor in its danger ranking.
I-95: The Full SC Stretch
Consistently named South Carolina’s single most dangerous highway across multiple independent analyses, driven by heavy long-haul truck traffic, speeding, and driver fatigue on long straight sections.
US-17: Beaufort–Colleton County
Featured on an NBC Dateline special on America’s most dangerous roads. Much of the historic route remains a two-lane configuration with little shoulder space, despite SCDOT improvement efforts.
I-26: Charleston to Asheville, NC
Frequently cited among the state’s deadliest highways due to volume, sharp curves in the mountainous sections, and complex interchange layouts.
Beyond Deadliest Highways: The Most Dangerous Intersections
I-26 & Ashley Phosphate Road
Near North Charleston and Goose Creek. Identified in SCDPS collision reports as South Carolina’s single most dangerous intersection, driven by high commercial and commuter traffic volume at the interchange.
Highway 501 & Carolina Forest Blvd
Myrtle Beach. Named one of the most dangerous intersections in the Grand Strand area by The Sun News, with more than 10% of local survey respondents flagging it directly.
South Carolina’s Top 10 Most Dangerous Intersections
Rounding out our look at South Carolina’s deadliest highways, the only comprehensive, cross-city comparable ranking that exists comes from the Post and Courier’s investigation of SCDPS crash data covering 2011–2015, published in March 2017. No newer statewide comparable ranking has been published since.
| Rank | Intersection | Area | Crashes (2011–2015) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-20 & U.S. 176 | Columbia | 669 |
| 2 | I-26 & Ashley Phosphate Rd | North Charleston | 629 |
| 3 | I-85 & Pelham Rd | Greenville | 494 |
| 4 | I-385 & Woodruff Rd | Greenville | 460 |
| 5 | U.S. 17 & S.C. 544 | Myrtle Beach | 454 |
| 6 | I-85 & Woodruff Rd | Greenville | 425 |
| 7 | I-85 & East Main St | Spartanburg | 417 |
| 8 | I-26 & St. Andrews Rd | Columbia | 395 |
| 9 | I-26 & College Park Rd | Charleston | 381 |
| 10 | U.S. 17 & Glenn’s Bay/Holmestown Rd | Myrtle Beach | 367 |
Source: The Post and Courier, “Worst 10 intersections in South Carolina” (March 2017), based on SCDPS crash data from 2011–2015, as compiled by Stewart Law Offices.
The #1 Most Dangerous Intersection in 7 South Carolina Cities
Beyond the statewide deadliest highways ranking above, we combined it with separate, more recent local studies for cities not covered in the 2011–2015 data.
Greenville
494 crashes, 2011–2015 (#3 statewide)
Columbia
669 crashes, 2011–2015 (#1 statewide)
Charleston
629 crashes, 2011–2015 (#2 statewide)
Rock Hill
Per the Rock Hill Herald’s 2015 York County analysis (2014 data + police/planner input) — a separate study from the statewide list.
Spartanburg
417 crashes, 2011–2015 (#7 statewide)
Bluffton
240 collisions, 2020–2024, peaking at 65 in 2022 — per a separate Beaufort County-specific analysis.
Myrtle Beach
454 crashes, 2011–2015 (#5 statewide)
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A Note on Our South Carolina Deadliest Highways Methodology
The national interstate danger ranking (I-95 4th, I-85 5th, I-77’s Rock Hill–Cayce segment) is drawn from a national safety analysis as reported by WSOC-TV and the Rock Hill Herald in January 2026 — we’ve cited the news attribution rather than an unnamed “study” since the original underlying report wasn’t independently verifiable at time of writing. I-95’s annual fatality average and historical decade totals come from Car Insurance Comparison and Alot.com analyses of federal crash data, respectively, and are presented as third-party analyses rather than official SCDPS figures. The Ashley Phosphate Road intersection ranking is attributed to SCDPS collision reports via secondary reporting; we were unable to locate the original SCDPS document directly and have noted that limitation here rather than presenting it as a direct primary-source citation.The statewide top-10 intersection ranking comes from the Post and Courier’s 2017 investigation of 2011–2015 SCDPS data— the most recent comprehensive, cross-city comparable ranking that exists. Rock Hill and Bluffton intersection data comes from separate, more recent local studies (Rock Hill Herald, 2015; a Beaufort County-specific analysis covering 2020–2024) that are not directly comparable to the statewide figures due to differing methodologies and timeframes, as noted above.
Knowing which roads are most dangerous is the first step. Our live South Carolina defensive driving course teaches how to handle high-speed highways, work zones and heavy traffic safely.