Herald editorial: What caused the spike in SC highway deaths?

While many South Carolinians welcomed the spring-like weather and the low price of gasoline that made traveling easier during the holiday season, those perks came with a downside: The S.C. Office of Highway Safety said the weather and cheap gas contributed to a spike in traffic fatalities last year.

The increase is alarming. There were 876 fatal crashes last year, compared with 744 in 2014. They resulted in 943 deaths, as of Dec. 30, which was 130 more than the previous year.

According to state officials, more people died in traffic collisions in 2015 than any year since 2007, when more than 1,000 people were killed.

Ordinarily, bad weather is seen as a contributor to highway accidents. But, as experts explain it, the balmy weather and cheap gas enticed more people to travel longer distances during the holidays.

More motorcyclists were on the roads. More pedestrians were out walking around. More people were partying outside, which often means more alcohol was consumed.

Drunken driving, as always, was a significant factor in highway deaths. In 2014, the state had the ninth-highest drunken-driving death toll, despite being 24th in population, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Sadly, the increase in traffic deaths represents an abrupt reversal of a trend toward fewer fatalities in recent years. State officials need to study the statistics carefully, try to discern why the number of deaths increased so dramatically and, most importantly, try to find ways to bring the numbers down.

Warm weather and cheap gas might have been contributing factors. But the earlier torrential rain and flooding from El Nino conditions also no doubt caused many accidents.

The number of motorcycle fatalities also was unusually high. The state had 44 more motorcycle fatalities than in 2014.

Some of those deaths might have been prevented if the state had a sensible mandatory helmet law for all motorcycle drivers and occupants, regardless of age.

A significant number of these highway fatalities might have been prevented with a little more common sense. Of 943 total fatalities in the state, according to the Highway Patrol, 623 had access to seat belts. Of those, more than half were not using them.

Driving under the influence also is a preventable cause of carnage on the roads. One welcome trend was a partnership between the S.C. chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the popular transportation app Uber to raise money and awareness while offering another way to get home after drinking.

Public service messages also encouraged people to appoint a designated driver to stay sober while friends were drinking. While these efforts are likely to be helpful, the Legislature also should pass a law requiring ignition-interlock devices on the vehicles of all DUI offenders.

Speeding also is a major factor in highway deaths. More troopers on the road could catch more speeders while also enforcing mandatory seat belt laws.

Fortunately, the week before Christmas, the state graduated 40 new troopers, bringing the total number to 772. They were put straight to work.

What else might help? The state could restrict cell phone use by teen drivers – or all drivers, for that matter. Distracted driving, especially among young drivers, is a significant cause of accidents.

Lawmakers could raise the age of eligibility for an unrestricted license to 18. They also could restrict the number of passengers teen drivers could have in their vehicles.

Again, though, state highway officials need to find out why the number of traffic deaths increased so dramatically last year. Those grim statistics might provide some answers about how to save more lives in the years ahead.

This story was originally published January 9, 2016 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Herald editorial: What caused the spike in SC highway deaths?."