When you look at the fatal accident rates on rural roads, you may be surprised. The total number of fatal accidents is roughly split between urban areas and rural areas. But considering far more people live in urban areas and there is much less driving happening on rural roads, the fatal accident rate is actually much higher on rural roads.
But why is this? Aren’t rural roads generally less populated and more simplistic in design? Why would they have a higher fatality rate?
1. The distance to the hospital
One factor that plays into the equation is how long it takes an injured person to get to the hospital. In the city, it may only take a few minutes, leading to life-saving treatment. But in a rural accident, it could take a significant amount of time just for the ambulance to get to the crash scene, let alone transport the person to the hospital.
2. The speed limits
Rural roads also tend to have much higher speed limits. Even if people perfectly follow these speed limits, a crash at 55 miles an hour is much more likely to be fatal than one at 25 miles an hour. And then you have to add speeding into the equation, meaning that some of these accidents take place at closer to 60 or 70 miles an hour.
3. Dangerous driving
Finally, there are some dangerous driving habits that tend to happen on rural roads. Drivers may get distracted, drive under the influence or fail to wear their seatbelts.
Have you been injured in a car accident caused by another driver, or have you lost a loved one? Make sure you know how to seek financial compensation.
