Most people in the United States live in urban areas, so rural roads tend to have lower traffic levels. They also tend to have simplistic designs. These two factors generally make people feel relatively safe while driving in these areas.
However, statistics show that rural roads are actually more dangerous. They have a disproportionately high fatal accident rate. Despite seeing much less traffic, they still result in about half of all fatal accidents. Here are two reasons why.
Lack of medical services
To begin with, it’s often difficult for people to get medical care promptly in a rural area. Many life-threatening injuries need immediate treatment. If a person is 45 minutes away from the nearest hospital or even has to be airlifted, they could die en route. If they suffered similar injuries in the city, they might get to the hospital in just a few minutes, where doctors could save their lives.
Higher speed limits
But the primary reason why these roads are more dangerous is just that the speed limits are higher. One constant in car accidents is that injuries tend to be more severe as speeds go up.
For example, consider two drivers who get in a head-on collision when one of them drifts over the centerline. In the city, both cars are traveling at 30 miles an hour, so the combined impact speed is 60 mph. They may suffer injuries, but they could both survive.
If the same accident happened on a rural road where both drivers were traveling at 60 miles an hour, then the combined impact speed is 120 miles an hour. It’s much more likely that it will result in fatal injuries.
Have you lost a loved one or suffered serious injuries in a car accident caused by a negligent driver? Take the time to carefully consider how you can seek financial compensation.