The type of road that a person thinks is most dangerous may just depend on where they live. If they’re used to driving in the city, it doesn’t feel that complex and overwhelming, but rural roads feel excessively dark and traffic signals may be harder to decipher. Conversely, someone who is used to driving on rural roads may find them simple and easy to navigate, whereas the city seems complex and overstimulating.
The only real way to see which roads are more dangerous, then, is to look at the fatal accident rate. What you’ll find is that rural roads have a higher rate, with less overall traffic and roughly half of all annual fatalities. Below are three reasons why these roads are more dangerous.
1. The distance to the hospital
First of all, rural accidents may take place miles farther from the hospital. This delays when emergency care arrives on the scene, making it more likely that someone will pass away from their injuries.
2. Higher speed limits
Even when drivers follow the speed limits perfectly, they are going to be higher on rural roads than they are in the city. A head-on collision is more likely to be deadly at 55 miles an hour than it is at 25 miles an hour.
3. Other dangerous behaviors
Some reports have also noted an increase in other dangerous behaviors on rural roads. Examples include things like drinking and driving, breaking the speed limit or driving without a seatbelt on. All of these can make fatal crashes more likely.
Of course, deadly accidents can happen anywhere. The families of those who have passed away need to be sure they understand their legal options to seek compensation.
