There are accidents on city streets, and there are other accidents on rural roads. When you look at fatalities in both of these locations, you generally find that they are split somewhat evenly between the two areas. Half of the fatalities take place in urban areas and half of the fatalities take place on more remote roads.
But it’s important to remember, when looking at these statistics, that the vast majority of people in the United States live in urban areas. Since traffic levels on these rural roads are so much lower, the fatal accident rate is actually a lot higher. Here are some reasons why that’s true.
Higher speed limits
For one thing, speed limits are higher on rural roads, often around 55 mph. Speed limits in the city may be closer to 35 mph, on average. Speed makes accidents more likely to be deadly, so crashes on rural roads carry a higher risk.
Visibility issues
Some rural areas may make it more difficult for drivers to see. At night, they don’t have streetlights to help them. Traffic signals may be obscured by trees or bushes. There are just hazards that people don’t have to deal with in the city.
Remote locations
Finally, many rural accidents are fairly remote. If someone gets involved in a two-car accident, it could take the ambulance a long time to arrive at the scene. Many people pass away from their injuries before they get the medical help that they need. If they suffered the same injuries in the city, they would be at the hospital in a few minutes and they could be saved.
Have you lost a loved one?
If you’ve lost a loved one in an accident caused by another driver, take the time to look into all of your rights to seek financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other costs.