Highway Deaths on the rise in Upstate

As 2014 ticks down, the number of fatal traffic accidents in the tri-county area of Upstate South Carolina is on the rise. Oconee County lists 12 in 2014 compared to three in 2013. Pickens County lists 10 highway fatalities in 2014 and 14 in 2013. Anderson County has experienced 43 traffic deaths in 2014 compared to 33 in 2013. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety reports that five people died on state roadways over the weekend. As of Dec. 14, 758 people have died on South Carolina highways, compared to 738 during the same time period in 2013. Of the 532 motor vehicle occupants who have died statewide in 2014, 249 were not wearing seat belts. Through midnight Dec. 14, 97 pedestrians have died compared to 97 in 2013; 83 motorcyclists have died compared to 122 in 2013; and 13 bicyclists have died compared to 15 in 2013 on state roads and highways.