4 Points Back. “South Carolina Speeding Statistics.” 4pointsback.com. Last updated July 23, 2026. https://4pointsback.com/south-carolina-driving-statistics/speeding-crashes/
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Jump to: 3-Year Trend · Road Type · Dangerous Corridors · 100 Deadly Days · County Rate · Rate vs. Volume · Methodology
Speeding killed 372 people in South Carolina in 2024 — across 37,043 speed-related collisions statewide.
These South Carolina speeding crashes statistics track fatal and injury crash data by year, by road type, county, and the specific interstate corridors where speeding crashes concentrate most — sourced directly to SCDPS and NHTSA, not third-party estimates.
Quick Facts
The numbers behind South Carolina’s speeding crashes problem right now:
- Speeding ranks in the top five contributing factors in fatal and severe-injury collisions in South Carolina, per SCDPS’s own Strategic Highway Safety Plan.
- In 2024, South Carolina recorded 37,043 speed-related collisions and 372 speeding deaths — 3,140 fewer collisions than 2023, when there were 382 speed-related fatalities and 14,718 people injured.
- Preliminary 2025 data shows speed-related injuries falling further: 13,359 injuries, down 8.62% from 14,619 in 2024.
- Nationally, speeding has been a factor in roughly one out of every three fatal crashes for more than two decades — 11,288 people died in speed-related crashes nationwide in 2024 (NHTSA).
- Secondary routes accounted for more fatal collisions than any other road type in South Carolina in 2023 (287 of 976 total fatal collisions, 29.4%) — ahead of US Primary (272) and SC Primary (264) routes.
- South Carolina is currently in its “100 Deadly Days of Summer” (Memorial Day–Labor Day) — in 2023, this period alone saw 10,789 speed-related collisions and 99 deaths statewide.
South Carolina Speeding Crashes: 3-Year Trend
| Year | Speed-Related Collisions | Speed-Related Deaths | Speed-Related Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 40,183 | 382 | 14,718 |
| 2024 | 37,043 | 372 | 14,619 |
| 2025 (preliminary) | — | — | 13,359 |
Source: SCDPS Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs. 2025 figures are preliminary and subject to revision; full collision and fatality counts for 2025 had not yet been finalized as of this writing.
Where Fatal Crashes Happen, By Road Type
Not all fatal collisions are speeding crashes, but South Carolina’s 2023 Traffic Collision Fact Book breaks down all fatal collisions — not speed-related crashes alone — by route classification. Secondary roads, not interstates, account for the largest share.
| Road Type | Fatal Collisions (2023) | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary Routes | 287 | 29.4% |
| US Primary Routes | 272 | 27.9% |
| SC Primary Routes | 264 | 27.0% |
| Interstate, County Routes, Ramps & Other | 153 | 15.7% |
Source: SCDPS South Carolina Traffic Collision Fact Book, 2023 Edition. The final row is a combined category covering Interstate, County routes, ramps, and other road classifications — the Fact Book breaks these out individually in more granular tables, but we’ve grouped them here since none individually rivals Secondary, US Primary, or SC Primary routes in fatal collision volume.
Where Speeding Crashes Concentrate: The Most Dangerous Interstate Corridors
SCDPS’s own 5-year data (2019–2023) identifies the specific interstate segments where speeding crashes concentrate most heavily — not just which roads have the most crashes overall, but where speeding specifically drives the numbers.
I-85, Greenville County
More than half of all crashes on this stretch (2019–2023) were speed-related — the highest concentration of any corridor in the state. Greenville County recorded 397 total traffic fatalities over the same 5-year period.
I-26, Lexington County
61.8% of all crashes on this stretch (2019–2023) were speed-related — the highest percentage of any corridor measured.
I-26, Charleston County
49.8% of all crashes on this stretch (2019–2023) were speed-related. Charleston and Lexington counties combined recorded 547 traffic fatalities over the 5-year period.
Statewide Context
South Carolina recorded 4,974 total traffic fatalities statewide between January 2019 and August 2023 — roughly one-third of all crashes reported in that period were speed-related.
The 100 Deadly Days of Summer
Memorial Day through Labor Day is SCDPS’s own designation for the highest-risk driving period of the year — and as of this page’s publication, South Carolina is currently inside that window.
SCDPS runs “Operation Southern Slow Down” as a multi-state enforcement campaign during this window, coordinating with Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee. The most recent iteration ran July 14–20, 2026, concentrating enforcement on interstates and state roadways statewide.
South Carolina Fatal Crash Rate by County: Where the Risk Is Highest
To understand where speeding crashes pose the greatest per-capita risk, an independent analysis of NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data, covering 2019–2023, ranks South Carolina’s 46 counties by fatal crash rate per 100,000 residents — a different lens than raw crash counts, since it accounts for population size. The pattern is stark: every county in the top 10 is rural, reinforcing the road-type finding above that secondary and rural roads carry a disproportionate share of South Carolina’s fatal crash risk.
Two Different Stories: High Rate vs. High Volume
South Carolina’s speeding problem splits into two distinct patterns, and conflating them leads to the wrong conclusion.
In South Carolina, a speeding ticket adds 2 to 6 points to your license depending on how fast you were going. Eligible drivers can take the South Carolina 4 point reduction course to remove up to four of those points.
A Note on Our South Carolina Speeding Crashes Methodology
Statewide speed-related collision, injury, and fatality totals are sourced directly from SCDPS’s official Speeding page and press releases, cross-referenced against the SC Traffic Collision Fact Book, 2023 Edition, for road-type breakdowns. Corridor-specific data (I-85 Greenville, I-26 Charleston/Lexington) is sourced from SCDPS data as reported by WCBD News 2, covering January 2019 through August 2023 — we’ve cited the original SCDPS attribution rather than treating the news report itself as the primary source. National comparison figures come from NHTSA. Where 2025 or 2026 data is described as preliminary, we’ve flagged it as such rather than presenting it as final.
Speeding tickets add 2 to 6 points to an SC license. If you’ve been cited, our state-approved 4 point reduction class can take up to 4 points off your record.