A car accident on any road can be dangerous, but the fact of the matter is that rural roads pose a special level of danger. For many years, they led to more overall fatalities. Even though that has changed and the split is pretty close to even, rural roads are still more dangerous since there are far fewer drivers on those roads — so fatalities are still disproportionately high.
Why is this? Let’s take a look at some of the main reasons.
The hospital is farther away
Even if two accidents are identical, the one that is farther from the hospital is more likely to lead to a fatality. Emergency crews take longer to arrive and it also takes longer to transport the injured party back to the medical center. Geography itself works against rural drivers.
The speed limits are higher
Not only does a lot of speeding happen on rural roads, but even the base speed limits are much higher. The greater the speed at the time of a crash, the more likely it is that someone will pass away.
People may take more risks
Rural roads often feel safer. This can be deceptive, and it may mean that someone isn’t quite paying as much attention as they would have been on a city street. The roads can lull you into a sense of complacency, assuming you are safe, when the opposite is actually true.
Have you lost a loved one?
If you have lost a loved one in a car accident or if you have been seriously injured yourself, it is very important for you to know about all of the legal options that you have.
