The Rock Hill/Charlotte commute: Speed is involved in 1 of every 4 crashes, police say
Anyone who has been stuck in traffic on Interstate 77 or U.S. 521 heading to, or coming from, Charlotte during rush hour has seen the volume of vehicles.
One crash can cause miles of backups that can extend from south Charlotte into York or Lancaster counties.
The culprit in one of four crashes, which can happen as often as three times a day, is speeding.
More than 163,000 vehicles per day on average travel I-77 in York County near the state line, according to traffic statistics. There are more vehicles traveling through Chester County on I-77 each day -- at least 50,000, officials say -- than there are people living in the county.
Another 40,000 vehicles per day head to and from Charlotte on U.S. 521 in northern Lancaster County.
“These are high volume areas, both the interstate and 521,” said Master Trooper Gary Miller of the S.C. Highway Patrol. “We do have to concentrate on where the traffic is.”
Speed -- driving over the limit or too fast for conditions -- is often a culprit, statistics show.
Drivers can control their speed
Traffic traveling back and forth between Rock Hill and Charlotte must cross the Catawba River, and the I-77 bridge is the main artery of that traffic. U.S. 21 and S.C. 49 bridges also are busy during peak periods.
There are almost three collisions every day on I-77 in York and Chester counties, according to statistics the S.C. Department of Public Safety sent to The Herald.
In York and Chester counties on I-77, in 2022, there were 934 collisions, SCDPS statistics show. About half - 457 - were speed related, according to the numbers.
In 2021, there were 1,045 collisions on I-77 in the two counties. Speed was listed as a factor in 470 of those collisions.
The posted speed limit in the northern part of York County on I-77 through south of Rock Hill is 60 miles per hour. South of that, the limit is 70 MPH.
“Speed is something every driver can control,” Miller said. “When volume is heavy, slow down.”
Most commuters would say there are places on I-77 where 60 mph is wishful thinking. With the massive volume of commuter traffic comes a responsibility for drivers to make safe driving their own priority, officials say.
Miller said commuters should give themselves adequate time to handle heavy traffic during peak times. The best way to avoid commuter problems is to stay within posted speed limits, maintain a proper following distance, and avoid distracted driving, Miller said.
There were 13 fatalities in 10 collisions on I-77 in York and Chester counties on I-77 in 2022, SCDPS figures show. Two-hundred-forty people were hurt in 149 collisions on the Interstate in 2022.
The numbers were down some from 2021.
Thirteen people died in 10 collisions on I-77 in the two counties in 2021, with 276 people hurt in 199 crashes, according to the numbers.
“When we see that in about one in four collisions someone is hurt, we know that drivers need to follow safety guidelines,” Miller said.
The highway patrol, a division of the highway safety department, has primary traffic enforcement duties on I-77 and U.S. 521.
Real-time information available
In the past few years the York County Sheriff’s Office has added a traffic enforcement unit to its specialty programs. In addition to those deputies, the sheriff’s office has a focused social media campaign that regularly posts tips, videos, and other information about traffic problems and safety.
That web address is: facebook.com/YCSOSC/
The traffic enforcement unit focuses on speed, aggressive driving, and impaired drivers, said Trent Faris, spokesman for the sheriff’s office.
Real-time information on social media from the sheriff’s office also is important to drivers both during a crash, and as safety reminders, Faris said.
Accidents can have wide-ranging impact.
If there is an incident on I-77, traffic can be impacted on the S.C. 49 bridge into Lake Wylie and even east to U.S. 521, Faris said.
“We know that during high volume times, and if there is traffic on the interstate or an accident, we want the public to know about safe alternate routes and trouble spots,” Faris said.
Chester County’s stretch of I-77 is the highest volume in that county, which sits between Charlotte and Columbia and handles commuter and commercial traffic, said Max Dorsey, Chester County Sheriff.
“We are cognizant of the volume, yet we know it is vital to the economic growth and development in Chester County,” Dorsey said. “Safety is important to us.”
The Richburg Fire & Rescue Department covers the entire length of I-77 for responding to emergencies, said T. Melton, Richburg chief. The commuter volume has increased in recent years and will only get larger, Melton said.
A quarter of all fatal crashes in Chester County in 2022 -- five fatal crashes -- were on I-77, statistics show.
“Everybody can do their part to make the road safer,” Melton said. “People seem to be in such a rush these days. But everyone can do their part.”
Melton said respect for others on the road is key.
“Slow down and pay attention and increase that following distance,” Melton said.
U.S. 521 in Lancaster and into Charlotte
A generation ago, U.S. 521 was a simple two-lane road that led through Indian Land in Lancaster County and into North Carolina. Now it is four lanes lined with commercial and business parks, and there are tens of thousands of new homes along the way.
It’s also the road that leads through Ballantyne in Mecklenburg County and into the city area of Charlotte.
There were three fatalities on U.S. 521 in northern Lancaster County 2022 and 2021, SCDPS statistics show.
However, there were more than 350 collisions each of the past two years on that stretch of road, according to the figures. More than 40 of those collisions involved injuries, the statistics show.
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office has two specialist deputies under federal/state grants who focus on speed, impaired driving and other safety concerns, said Doug Barfield, spokesman for the sheriff’s office in Lancaster.
Sheriff’s officials said they recognize that U.S. 521, from S.C. 75 north through Indian Land to the North Carolina state line, is the busiest stretch of road in Lancaster County, Barfield said.
The Herald reported in late 2022 that there are plans to widen U.S 521, also called Charlotte Highway, in northern Lancaster County in improvements that could cost over $100 million. But those plans, which would widen the road to as many as six lanes in some places, are still being ironed out. Officials called U.S. 521 the one key corridor in Lancaster County
“We realize 521 is busy, that it can be congested, and our objective is safety,” Barfield said.
This story was originally published January 17, 2023 at 12:00 AM.
