So far this year, Richland County has the highest number of traffic fatalities of any county in South Carolina – 16 in all.

But statewide, South Carolina is experiencing an unusually low number of road deaths, according to the S.C. Department of Public Safety’s Office of Highway Safety.

Last year at this time, there were 161 people killed on S.C. highways through March 17.

So far this year, 126 people have died.

People not buckling up continues to be a key indicator of whether a person will be killed in a motor vehicle incident.

Of the 89 motor vehicle deaths so far this year, 61 – or 68 percent – were not wearing seat belts.

However, only about 10 percent of the state’s motorists don’t wear seat belts these days while riding in a car, according to Department of Public Safety data.

After Richland, the county with the next highest number of road deaths is Greenville, with 10.

Lexington County has six road deaths; Kershaw, five; Newberry, one; and Fairfield, none.

Reach Monk at (803) 771-8344.