State Highway 81 in South Carolina: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 48 fatal crashes on State Highway 81 in South Carolina killed 52 people, the 42nd most of 806 numbered roads in South Carolina. In 2024 there were 5 fatal crashes and 5 deaths on the road.
A state highway running through 9 counties of South Carolina. All fatal crashes in South Carolina.
Deaths on State Highway 81 in South Carolina by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 5 |
| 2023 | 4 | 5 |
| 2022 | 8 | 11 |
| 2021 | 3 | 3 |
| 2020 | 6 | 6 |
| 2019 | 5 | 5 |
| 2018 | 3 | 3 |
| 2017 | 2 | 2 |
| 2016 | 10 | 10 |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on State Highway 81 in South Carolina: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Anderson County had the most fatal crashes on State Highway 81 from 2015 to 2024: 26, with 29 deaths. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anderson County | 3 | 26 | 29 |
| 2 | Greenville County | 1 | 8 | 8 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen on State Highway 81 in South Carolina
48 fatal crashes on State Highway 81 in South Carolina from 2015 to 2024 have a known time, too few for any one weekday and time of day to stand out. The worst hour is 7 pm to 8 pm; the worst month is May.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 4.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.1 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Mon | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 1 fatal crash | 4.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 4.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 6.2 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Wed | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 6.2 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 4.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 4.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 1 fatal crash | 4.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 4.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 4.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 8.3 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 10.4 percent, 5 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 2.1 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.1 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.1 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 6.2 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 4.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan4.2%
- Feb12.5%
- Mar8.3%
- Apr6.2%
- May14.6%
- Jun2.1%
- Jul12.5%
- Aug6.2%
- Sep12.5%
- Oct2.1%
- Nov8.3%
- Dec10.4%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What fatal crashes on State Highway 81 in South Carolina first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 46%; a pedestrian in 27%, a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 19%, a cyclist in 6.2%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 22 | 46% |
| Pedestrian | 13 | 27% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 9 | 19% |
| Cyclist | 3 | 6.2% |
| Rollover | 1 | 2.1% |
| Parked vehicle | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other | 0 | 0.0% |
| Not reported | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes on State Highway 81 in South Carolina compare with the state
The largest difference from South Carolina: from 2015 to 2024, 13% of fatal crashes on State Highway 81 in South Carolina were with a drinking driver, against 32% across South Carolina. Below the South Carolina share: rural roads. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of South Carolina. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 48 crashes.
| State Highway 81 | South Carolina | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 42% | 59% | below the South Carolina share |
| At or near an intersection | 27% | 20% | about the same as the South Carolina share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 40% | 37% | about the same as the South Carolina share |
| A drinking driver | 13% | 32% | below the South Carolina share |
| Speeding | 27% | 40% | about the same as the South Carolina share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 6.2% | 5.0% | about the same as the South Carolina share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 43% | 53% | about the same as the South Carolina share |
| Hit-and-run | 6.2% | 4.2% | about the same as the South Carolina share |
| A motorcycle involved | 13% | 16% | about the same as the South Carolina share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 25% | 16% | about the same as the South Carolina share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Questions about fatal crashes on State Highway 81 in South Carolina
- How many fatal crashes have there been on State Highway 81 in South Carolina?
- 48 fatal crashes killed 52 people on State Highway 81 in South Carolina from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 5 fatal crashes and 5 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on State Highway 81 in South Carolina do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Anderson County had the most fatal crashes on State Highway 81 from 2015 to 2024: 26, with 29 deaths. Greenville County was second with 8.
Other roads in South Carolina with a page
- I-20
- I-26
- I-385
- I-77
- I-85
- I-95
- State Highway 11
- State Highway 14
- State Highway 19
- State Highway 20
- State Highway 28
- State Highway 291
All fatal crashes in South Carolina, with every road ranked.
Where the State Highway 81 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as State Highway 81 in South Carolina (filed under 10 spellings, such as "SR-81", "SR-81 ANDERSON RD", "SR-81 E BREWINGTON RD", "SR-81 E GREENVILLE STREET"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are left out. Where two routes share a road, NHTSA files each crash under one of them, so a shared stretch counts on one route only. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Totals in state and news reports for a road usually differ: they include ramps and frontage roads, or count from preliminary reports. The full method.