Last month, a tragic car accident took the lives of four young adults in Columbia, South Carolina. Recently, police reported that the car was traveling 90 mph at the time the single-vehicle wreck took place on George Rogers Boulevard at 4:54 a.m. on Jan. 19.

According to investigators, a 22-year-old was behind the wheel when the vehicle was rounding a curve and went off of the left side of the road before striking a Farm Bureau Insurance building. The vehicle reportedly erupted in flames upon impact, killing all four people inside.

The car accident victims, two males and two females, ranged in age from 22 to 24-years-old. It was reported that the driver and a passenger were students at the University of South Carolina, and another passenger was a former student there.

Police said that the speed limit on the portion of road where the accident took place is 40 mph. Investigators concluded that the car was going far too fast for the road conditions, and the driver lost control of the vehicle at the curve.

Unfortunately, serious accidents like this involving high speeds are quite common among young drivers who are seeking a thrill. What these drivers often fail to realize is that speed limits are set for a reason.

Speed limits are intended to prevent drivers from going faster than road conditions will permit. It is especially important to abide by speed limits during the wintertime, when black ice can form on roads, making them even more dangerous.

Source: WLTX, "Police: Car in 4 Deaths Collision was Going 90 MPH," Tony Santaella, Feb. 7, 2012