Never mind defensive driving, a new study finds outright paranoia might be a reasonable precaution on South Carolina roads. According to just-published research by a Kentucky-based personal-injury law firm, South Carolina is the second most dangerous state to drive in; barely edged out of first, or worst place by Mississippi.
The Post and Courier reports rankings are based on the number of fatalities per one hundred thousand people -- so population size is NOT a factor -- and the number of deaths per hundred-million vehicle miles driven.
That analysis produced a one-to-ten score used to rank all the states; the lower the score, the higher the risk factor. South Carolina chalked up twenty-point-seven fatalities for every hundred thousand people for a score of two-point-seventy-eight out of ten, second worst in the country.
And at two-point-ninety-seven deaths per one hundred million vehicle miles, South Carolina actually tops the list as the worst.. By the way, the safest state for driving turns out to be Massachusetts.