Distracted South Carolina Drivers Push Up Insurance Rates

It’s an all-too-frequent occurrence on Columbia’s crowded downtown streets, especially when the University of South Carolina is in session: A traffic light turns green and the car in front of you doesn’t move. The driver’s head is down. It’s obvious he or she, possibly a USC student or young professional, is texting. "Sure, it’s a problem with those university kids," said Ray Farmer, director of South Carolina’s Department of Insurance. "But if you go back to their hometowns, their parents are doing it, too." Districted driving, however, is more than an inconvenience.