Most drivers take in a mix of rural and urban roads over the course of a year’s driving. While they should always drive with care, understanding where the greatest risk occurs can help them take extra precautions when appropriate.
Studies have found that there are more crashes on urban roads than on rural ones. This makes sense because a lot more people live in urban areas, so there are many more drivers on those roads and many more miles driven. Yet the studies have also found that the risk per mile driven of a fatal crash is higher on rural roads than urban ones. What explains this?
Urban advantages
Urban roads lower the risks of crashes proving fatal in several ways:
- Lower speed limits are in place. The slower the vehicles involved in a collision are traveling, the lower the force they hit each other with will be. It’s one of the reasons those lower speed limits are in place – to minimize the chance that a collision with another vehicle or a pedestrian ends up being fatal.
- Medical attention is closer: There are more hospitals in urban areas than in rural ones. Ambulances can reach and start to treat those who sustain life-threatening injuries quicker in an urban crash than in a rural one. They’ll also get that person to a hospital full of doctors and advanced medical equipment sooner. The difference between someone surviving a crash or dying due to their injuries often comes down to minutes.
Next time you escape the stress of the city and relax as the views open up around you, remember that this is where you are most at risk of dying in a crash. Paying careful attention to the road, rather than the view can help keep you safe.