Studies often confirm that driving on rural roads is riskier than driving on urban streets. Rural roads simply tend to host more severe accidents. When you compare the rate of these serious accidents to the number of miles being driven on a given day, you will find that the accident rate on a rural road is disproportionately high.
Why is this? Many people assume that city roads would be more dangerous, in large part because there is simply more traffic, not rural roads, which seem safer and far less complicated to navigate – what is causing the statistics to skew in this direction?
Remote locations
First of all, a lot of accidents on rural roads are fairly remote. It can take time for people to discover the accident, and it takes more time for emergency crews to respond and then transport that person to a hospital. The same problem often doesn’t exist in the city, where a hospital may be just a mile or two away at all times. Prompt treatment saves lives.
Higher speed limits
Another thing that has been known about car accidents for a long time is that higher rates of speed result in more serious injuries. Since rural roads often have speed limits that are set at 55 miles an hour or even higher, those who drive on these roads are at greater risk of a crash simply because they’re going fast. In the city, there may be more accidents overall, but many of them are not serious because they only happen at low speeds and result in minor injuries or property damage.
Risky driving behaviors
Finally, there are some risky driving behaviors that cause these accidents. One is a lower rate of seatbelt use on rural roads, for example, while another is a higher rate of impaired driving. Another type of risky driving frequently seen in rural areas is aggressively passing on two-lane roads.
Those who have suffered injuries in these accidents due to mistakes made by other drivers need to know about their legal options so that they can seek compensation. Severe accidents usually result in serious costs.
