If you live in a heavily rural area, you may well feel like the wide-open roads are safer than the clustered, chaotic roads you would find in a city. When looking at the actual statistics, though, exactly the opposite is true. Those rural roads are the most dangerous. They take more lives.
Why does this happen? Speed is the major issue. People can drive faster on rural roads so, even if there are fewer total accidents, those accidents are more likely to be deadly. A city street may see twice as many actual collisions, but, if those crashes happen at 20 miles per hour instead of 60MPH, the odds are far higher that no one will pass away.
Another potential issue is medical care. How long does it take the professionals to get to that crash location? Say it’s a half an hour for a remote accident. Someone may survive the initial crash and then pass away before the emergency crews can get there. Someone with the same injuries in a city-based accident may already be in the hospital by that time, so they’ll survive.
Other issues that researchers have considered include higher rates of drunk driving in rural areas and lower rates of seat belt use. These are two easy things that you can address if you want to keep yourself safe. Always wear your belt and never drive after you have been drinking.
If you do get involved in a serious accident caused by another driver, you may be able to seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages and other costs. An experienced attorney can help you better understand your options and what needs to happen next.