The DUI problem in Greenville, South Carolina is one of many driving distractions that can lead to deadly conclusions on the road.
DUI continues to be a major issue in the community. On August 7, a woman was killed in a rear-end collision with an impaired driver.
Understanding the dangers of driving under the influence can help create safer roadways for all drivers in The Upstate of South Carolina
If you’re injured in a DUI-related car accident, please don’t hesitate to contact me to discuss your options. Please don’t hesitate to call us at 864-235-4999 or through our contact form, which you can find by clicking the button below.
Part 1: DUI Distraction
This post is part one of four, focusing on different driving distractions. Part one focuses on the DUI epidemic.
How much alcohol can I drink and drive safely?
If you’re already drinking and asking this question, you’ve probably drunk too much. The truth is 1-2 drinks is all it takes to raise your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) considerably. 2-4 drinks in one hour is enough for a person’s BAC to reach 0.08, the legal drinking limit.
DUI is a Decision
Unlike talking or texting on the phone, a decision made while driving, DUI is a distraction that can be alleviated before driving. Bad choices usually begin well before the driver has a drink. Before going out for the night, you should have a plan, including assigning a designated driver and arranging alternate transportation. If those options aren’t available, then don’t drink.
Making the right decisions beforehand will help avoid disaster later. After all, the distraction is already in place when the impaired driver is behind the wheel.
The DUI Problem
DUI-related car accidents are always tragic and entirely preventable. Talking on the phone is a decision, but you need a phone in an emergency. A person under the influence of drugs or alcohol only needs to do one thing: Nothing. Not getting behind the wheel is all it takes to avoid fatal consequences.
In 2017, 988 people died in car accidents throughout South Carolina and 32 percent of those fatalities involved drivers with a BAC above 0.08, which means roughly 1/3 of all fatal car accidents involved an intoxicated driver.
DUI Facts
Here are some additional DUI Facts:
- In 2017, South Carolina has the 2nd most drunk driving deaths in the United States with 6.22 people per 100,000
- 21 people died in Greenville due to car accidents involving alcohol. Greenville has the highest drunk driving fatality rate in South Carolina.
- The minimum jail time for a first-time DUI conviction in South Carolina is 2 days.
- Conversely, Arizona, Georgia and Oklahoma require 10 days for a 1st conviction.
- A person with a BAC of 0.08 will have a decreased reaction time of 120 milliseconds (a tenth of a second), which doesn’t seem like a lot. However, a distraction that is less than a second at a high rate of speed is all it takes to cause an accident.
“When cruising at 70 miles per hour, a drunk driver would travel for an additional 12 feet before reacting to a roadway hazard,” said Brad Uren, a board-certified emergency medicine physician at the University of Michigan.
Limited DUI Protection
South Carolina’s population grows exponentially, resulting in around 50,000 new residents yearly. Greenville is also in a growth spurt, so much so that in 2016, it was named the No. 4 fastest-growing city in the United States. Despite the population growth, there are fewer state troopers than a decade ago and that factor along with a few others underscores the issues with preventing DUI tragedies.
Here’s a table highlighting some of the statistical changes over the years in a few different categories.
Deadly Driving Distractions Fact Table:
| Category | Earliest Stat (year) | Most Recent Stat (year) | Percent Change |
| Number of State Troopers in South Carolina | 946 (2008) | 876 (2018) | -7.4% |
| Population of Greenville County | 451,225 (2010) | 506,837 (2017) | 12.3% |
| Number of DUI Arrests (Greenville) | 379 (2008) | 371 (2014) | -2.1% |
| Number of Traffic Fatalities (Greenville) | 71 (2013) | 74 (2017) | 4.2% |
| Number of Alcohol-Related Car Accident Deaths | 35 (2013) | 21 (2017) | -40% |
Greenville has improved in some areas such as reducing the DUI fatalities from 35 to 21, while at the same time undergoing continuous population growth. However, even with the improved numbers, Greenville County still has the highest number of DUI deaths in the state.
Stopping drunk drivers is undoubtedly difficult without a steady influx of state troopers and other law enforcement officers. Despite these issues, there are current and potential solutions available to drivers that will help avoid making a bad decision.
Next Up
Part 2 of the driving distractions series will focus on the available solutions for avoiding costly DUI situations. For now, what are some of the other DUI and different driving distractions that bother you around Greenville? Let us know in the contact form below.
Thomas Creech is a personal injury lawyer in Greenville, South Carolina with 20 years of courtroom experience. He has spent his entire professional career as a Greenville resident and will provide you with the attention your case deserves.
Just as a reminder, if you’re injured in an accident involving a drunk driver, please don’t hesitate to contact the Thomas Creech Law Offices by phone at 864-235-4999 or through our convenient online form below this post.