Most Traffic Fatalities Occur on Rural Roads

Posted on Oct 07, 2009

In 2008, 56% of the country's 37,261 traffic deaths occurred on rural roads even though there are more crashes in urban areas. Traffic deaths decreased last year in both urban and rural settings. High gasoline prices kept more people at home and reduced the number of accidents.

The reasons for more rural traffic deaths seems to be threefold. People drive faster on rural roads. The roads themselves are not as well-engineered, and medical response time is much slower outside of cities.

Some states are taking action to make their country roads safer. These improvements include the addition of rumble strips on both the shoulders and centerline of some roads. Montana has even engineered "over crosses" and "undercrosses" for deer, elk and bear on one highway. Many states continue to campaign for seat belt usage, particularly in rural areas.