South Carolina Truck Accident Statistics

Commercial trucks regularly travel on South Carolina roads carrying goods throughout the state and along major transportation routes such as I-95, I-26, I-20, and I-85. While these vehicles support commerce and the transportation of goods throughout the East Coast, South Carolina truck accidents can cause severe injuries because of the substantial differences in size and weight between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles.

Recent South Carolina truck accident statistics provide a clearer picture of how frequently these crashes occur and the consequences they can have. Data from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) 2024 South Carolina Traffic Collision Fact Book shows that commercial motor vehicles were involved in thousands of accidents during that year, while federal data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) provides additional data about crashes involving large commercial trucks.

At The Lovely Law Firm, our Myrtle Beach truck accident lawyers represent those who have been injured in truck accidents, car accidents, and other incidents that were a direct result of negligence. When a commercial truck is involved, determining responsibility may involve examining the actions of the truck driver, trucking company, other motorists, and additional parties connected to the vehicle or its operation, which is why it’s important to have experienced legal guidance and support throughout the entire process.

South Carolina Truck Accident Statistics

SCDPS compiles statistics for commercial motor vehicle crashes and publishes them in its yearly collision fact book. The agency defines a truck as a commercial motor vehicle that is used to transport goods, property, or people in interstate or intrastate commerce.

According to the 2024 South Carolina Traffic Collision Fact Book, commercial motor vehicles were involved in:

• 3,260 total accidents
• 130 fatal accidents
• 145 serious-injury crashes
• 1,496 other-injury accidents
• 1,489 property-damage-only crashes
• 145 deaths
• 174 serious injuries
• 2,345 other injuries

CMV collisions represented approximately 2.3% of all traffic accidents across South Carolina during 2024, but they accounted for 13.7% of the state’s fatal traffic accidents. This difference shows why the frequency of commercial truck accidents alone does not tell the entire story. Commercial vehicle accidents in South Carolina represented a relatively small percentage of the state’s total accidents but a considerably larger share of fatal collisions.

How Many Truck Accidents in South Carolina Per Year?

To know how many truck accidents there are in South Carolina per year, it’s important to look at the data. SCDPS reported 3,260 commercial truck accidents in 2024. That category covers all qualifying commercial vehicles rather than only reporting on tractor-trailers.

The 2024 Collision Fact Book also contains a separate category that is specifically for collisions involving truck tractors. SCDPS defines a truck tractor as a motorized vehicle primarily designed to draw trailers. In 2024, the state recorded 6,159 traffic collisions involving a truck tractor. These included:

• 69 fatal collisions
• 1,216 injury collisions
• 4,874 property-damage-only collisions
• 80 people killed
• 117 people seriously injured
• 1,601 people sustaining other injuries

These figures should not be combined with the CMV total because they are different SCDPS datasets with different classifications, which means they do not coincide.

FMCSA provides another set of data for large truck crashes in South Carolina. Its 2024 state-level large-truck data reports that the state total VMT for 2024 was 62,042, which consisted of 126 fatal crashes. Differences between the SCDPS and FMCSA totals reflect differences in data and vehicle definitions, reporting criteria, and datasets. FMCSA also states that its Motor Carrier Management Information System data is considered preliminary for 22 months while changes can be made to update the data.

Fatal Commercial Truck Accidents in South Carolina

The 2024 SCDPS data shows the potential severity of commercial vehicle collisions and the consequences that can result. CMVs were involved in 130 fatal collisions, which resulted in 145 deaths during the year.

CMV-involved crashes accounted for 13.7% of all fatal traffic accidents in South Carolina in 2024.

Truck tractors also accounted for a significant number of fatal crashes. The 69 fatal truck-tractor-involved accidents that were recorded in 2024 resulted in 80 individuals losing their lives. SCDPS notes that its fatality and injury figures for this category include all people who were killed or injured in truck-tractor-involved collisions, not solely the truck occupants.

When looking at the big picture, the 2024 South Carolina statistics also show 80 fatalities from collisions involving truck tractors and another 36 fatalities from collisions involving other types of trucks.

When Do Truck Accidents Happen in South Carolina?

SCDPS also breaks down the 2024 truck-tractor collision data according to time of day. The greatest number occurred from 12:01 p.m. through 3:00 p.m., when 1,385 collisions were recorded. The next-highest period was 9:01 a.m. through noon, with 1,247 collisions. Truck-tractor collisions by time period included:

• 12:01 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. – 236 collisions
• 3:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. – 382 collisions
• 6:01 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. – 1,061 collisions
• 9:01 a.m. to noon – 1,247 collisions
• 12:01 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. – 1,385 collisions
• 3:01 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – 1,082 collisions
• 6:01 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – 487 collisions
• 9:01 p.m. to midnight – 279 collisions

Fatal crashes during certain times of the day followed a somewhat different pattern. The 6:01 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. period recorded 13 fatal collisions, which is the most among the listed time periods. The 12:01 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. period followed at a close second with 12 fatal crashes.

South Carolina Truck Accidents by Day of the Week

Truck-tractor accidents in South Carolina also varied by the day of the week. According to the data, Tuesday recorded the largest number of crashes during 2024, with 1,162 collisions, followed closely by Thursday with 1,161 and Wednesday with 1,156. SCDPS recorded the following totals:

• Sunday – 232 collisions
• Monday – 1,032 collisions
• Tuesday – 1,162 collisions
• Wednesday – 1,156 collisions
• Thursday – 1,161 collisions
• Friday – 1,055 collisions
• Saturday – 361 collisions

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each recorded 15 fatal truck-tractor accidents. Together, the statistics show a concentration of truck-tractor crashes during the traditional workweek, and less on the weekends.

Where Do Commercial Truck Accidents Occur?

The 2024 SCDPS Fact Collision Book data also identifies the types of roads where commercial motor vehicle crashes occurred throughout the year. Of the 3,260 CMV collisions recorded statewide:

• 1,054 occurred on interstates
• 818 occurred on U.S. primary routes
• 660 occurred on South Carolina primary routes
• 546 occurred on secondary routes
• 122 occurred on county routes
• 60 occurred on ramps

When looking at the data, interstates accounted for approximately 33% of all reported CMV accidents in the state. However, U.S. primary routes recorded the greatest number of fatal CMV crashes, with 43 fatal accidents, compared to the 36 on interstates and 32 on South Carolina primary routes.

Commercial Truck Driver Statistics

SCDPS recorded 3,466 CMV drivers involved in commercial motor vehicle accidents in 2024. South Carolina-licensed drivers were determined to be involved in 57.27% of crashes, while the Fact Book also reports that out-of-state drivers accounted for 42.7% of CMV drivers involved in accidents. North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida accounted for more than half of those out-of-state CMV drivers.

Among truck-tractor drivers specifically, the largest age group involved in accidents was 45 to 54, which accounted for 1,507 drivers, or 22.9% of the total accidents. Drivers ages 35 to 44 accounted for another 1,352 accidents, while drivers ages 55 to 64 accounted for 1,266 accidents.

Contact a Myrtle Beach Truck Accident Lawyer at The Lovely Law Firm

South Carolina recorded thousands of commercial motor vehicle and truck-tractor crashes during 2024, according to the SCDPS Fact Collision Crash Book for the year. Federal FMCSA data also states the same. Each dataset uses its own classifications, which makes it important to identify what type of vehicle and crash data a statistic represents.

At The Lovely Law Firm, our Myrtle Beach truck accident attorneys represent accident victims who have been injured in commercial truck and tractor-trailer accidents throughout South Carolina. Our team works diligently to investigate the circumstances surrounding an accident, gather evidence, identify potentially responsible parties and insurance coverage, document accident-related losses, and pursue compensation available under South Carolina law. Don’t hesitate to contact our team today to schedule a free case consultation to learn more about your legal options for pursuing compensation.