South Carolina Attorneys on Best Ideas to Avoid Pedestrian Injuries

Earlier this year, a national traffic safety non-profit ranked all fifty U.S. states from safest to most dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists.

South Carolina’s ranking on the list left serious room for improvement

The report, released in February by the Governors Highway Safety Association, ranked the Palmetto State as the sixth most dangerous state for pedestrians. The report acted almost as a harbinger of things to come, as the month of March saw six people die while walking or biking in South Carolina.

During the first four months of this year, 65 people have been killed by cars while traveling by bicycle or on foot in South Carolina.

Lawmakers are taking action

Now, Charleston-area advocates and lawmakers from around South Carolina are considering a bill that would force the state’s Department of Transportation to get serious when it comes to better protecting pedestrians and cyclists traveling on South Carolina roads.

The “Complete Streets” initiative being pushed in Columbia would require the state’s Department of Transportation to develop a policy to provide safety accommodations for pedestrians, cyclists and those who rely on mass transit when building and rebuilding state roads.

The proposal also has the backing of larger advocacy groups, including AARP and the American Heart Association, but the growing support for the initiative doesn’t speak nearly as loud as the data that has inspired the call to action: according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, drivers have struck and killed almost 1,500 pedestrians and cyclists over the last decade.

That’s a rate of roughly 2.4 fatalities per 100,000 people, more than 13 people per day greater than the national average, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It’s high time for the state to implement policies that will protect people, regardless of how they get around, in South Carolina.

Attorneys committed to advocating for the injured

While the state debates the best way to take action and protect South Carolinians on our roadways, we at the Law Offices of Twenge and Twombley are committed to advocating for people who are injured in accidents of all kinds and are ready to serve you in the event that you or someone you love has been hit by a car and seriously injured. Contact us today to learn how we can help.