No matter where you are driving, there is always a chance that you could be involved in a serious accident. It just takes one other driver to make a mistake, even when you are driving safely.
That said, people often feel nervous driving in the city, where things are complicated and there is more traffic. They feel safer driving on rural roads, where the road designs are simple and there are fewer cars around.
But this perception does not actually line up with what the statistics tell us. The fatal car accident rate on rural roads is much higher than it is on city streets when you look at the number of fatalities per mile driven. But why is this?
2 main reasons
The first reason is that rural roads have higher speed limits, which makes serious and fatal injuries more likely. The average speed limit in the city may be 25 or 35 miles an hour. But the average speed limit on a rural road may be 55 miles an hour, where people are realistically driving 60 miles an hour. These are going to be more severe accidents, even if all other factors are the same.
The second reason is that it takes longer to get medical care. In some cases, people will suffer injuries like internal bleeding or traumatic brain injuries, which need quick treatment to save their lives. In the city, they may be at the hospital in just a few minutes, but there could be a significant delay if they get in an accident 45 minutes away from the hospital.
Have you lost a loved one in a car accident caused by a negligent driver? If so, you may be able to seek significant compensation, so be sure you understand what legal steps to take.
