A treacherous stretch of Interstate 26 near Charleston experienced more than 600 accidents in the first 10 months of 2013, getting the attention of law enforcement.
In a report on WCSC, Senior Trooper Bridget Wyant of the South Carolina Highway Patrol described the area between exit 199 in Summerville and Dorchester Road as a “Nascar race.”
Too often aggressive drivers don’t leave enough room between their cars and the vehicles in front of them, she said. In addition to tailgating, aggressive driving includes speeding, driving too fast for conditions and weaving in and out of lanes.
“In the mornings you can’t be like Nascar and drafting off of the person in front of you…and be so close,” Wyant said. Of traffic accidents from January to October of 2013, 22 percent occurred between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.
None of the crashes has involved fatalities. However, the number of vehicles is a concern for troopers.
According to Wyant, three factors largely contribute to an increase in accidents along this segment of I-26:
- Drivers aren’t paying attention to the speed limit – Drivers heading east are not slowing down when the speed limit drops from 70 mph to 60 mph when they pass Summerville.
- Drivers follow too closely behind vehicles – As a result, any kind of sudden stop can mean a collision.
- Drivers merge at high rates of speed and cross multiple lanes of traffic – Drivers are not using good judgment in merging or moving from one lane to another. These types of maneuvers warrant caution and awareness of the position of nearby vehicles.
Hazardous highway issues aren’t confined to I-26. According to a recent study by carinsurancecomparison.com, South Carolina has the most dangerous highways in the nation.
If you have been injured in a car accident caused by another driver in South Carolina, it’s a good idea to understand your legal options.
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