Motorcycle fatalities in South Carolina

In the year 2012, exactly 137 fatal motorcycle crashes occurred on the roads of South Carolina. A substantial proportion of them involved alcohol.

Statistics collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that motorcycles are an inherently risky form of transportation, and alcohol appears to make them more so. Even though motorcycles make up an insignificant proportion of the vehicles on the road, representing only 3 percent of all registered vehicles, they still are involved in 15 percent of all fatal collisions.

Approximately half of all fatal motorcycle accidents involved two vehicles. The majority of these accidents occurred when the motorcyclist ran into the vehicle in front, possibly because the other driver had failed to see the cyclist and made a turn directly ahead of them. The other half of the accidents, single-vehicle fatalities, demonstrated a disproportionately high percentage of deceased riders whose blood alcohol content was above .08 percent. In an average year, 48 percent of all motorcycle riders killed in single-vehicle wrecks during the weekend hours had been drinking substantial amounts of alcohol.

People who have come to harm because of motorcycle accidents may wish to talk with an attorney and explore options to recover compensation for their losses. This does not apply only to those who have experienced a personal injury in such an accident. A wreck that causes the demise of a loved one can have a real and appreciable economic effect on the family they left behind, and the wrongful death of their kin is considered worthy of financial redress in the state of South Carolina. The estate of a deceased person may also file a civil suit through a representative to recover the losses caused to it, though the award will be reduced by the amount paid out to the family.

Source: US Department of Transportation , “Motorcycles“, December 05, 2014