More motorcyclists, pedestrians, cyclists killed on SC roads

When 62-year-old James Bradley Grimes died recently after he struck a deer while riding his motorcycle in Pickens County, he became part of an unwelcome trend.

South Carolina road deaths are up significantly so far this year, and motorcycle deaths are way up, according to the latest preliminary figures by the state Department of Public Safety.

Through this past Sunday, 572 people have died on South Carolina roadways, compared with 473 for the same period last year.

Of that number, 88 were motorcyclists, up from 57 for the same time period last year, an increase of more than 54 percent. Eight out of every 10 killed weren’t wearing a helmet.

Pedestrian deaths also are up, going from 49 last year to 61 this year.

Ten bicyclists have died thus far in 2015, compared with seven last year, according to the figures.

“We are noticing there is an increase in South Carolina, and we think that is due to the economy improving,” Steve Phillips, traffic safety manager for AAA Carolinas, said. A better economy suggests more people are on the roads, he said, and during vacation season, more people are traveling to the coast, one reason he thinks Horry County now tops the state for road deaths.

In accidents for which a cause or contributing factor has been determined, the leading factors are driving too fast, DUI and failure to yield right of way.

Also, while the state’s seat belt compliance rate remains high, said Sgt. Bob Beres, a spokesman for the state Highway Patrol, the percentage of those not using seat belts in fatal accidents has increased from 47.7 percent to 51.3 percent.

“If you’re going to go out there drinking and driving, if you’re not going to be buckled up, if you’re going down the road speeding, your chances are high of getting in a collision and not living through one,” he said.

Horry County leads the state in fatalities with 48, followed by Spartanburg County with 47 and Greenville County with 41.