Texas is a very large state. As a result, much of the state is rural. Texans often drive through rural areas to visit family, to go to and from their homes or to get between larger cities. While people may believe that driving in rural areas is safe, there are some risks to driving in more isolated areas. Just like in urban areas, serious car accidents can occur in rural areas. However, the rural car accidents often look a bit different than urban accidents.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 57 percent of traffic-related fatalities occur in rural accidents, despite the fact that only 21 percent of the United States’ population lives in a rural area. Although this data is roughly 10 years old now, it still shows that the risk of a rural accident is not limited to only the people that live in these areas.
More than half of all rural accidents occur during the day. NHSTA data suggests that around 53 percent of rural accidents occur during the day, whereas only 45 percent of urban accidents occur during the day. Of these accidents in rural areas, 67 percent occur on straight roads, which is less than the number of straight-road accidents that occur in urban areas.
Rural accidents are also more likely to involve higher speeds. NHTSA data shows that around 70 percent of fatal accidents involving a speed limit of more than 55 miles-per-hour are in rural areas. Additionally, rural accidents are more likely to be head-on accidents and are more likely to result in the driver being ejected from the vehicle. Rural drivers in fatal accidents are more likely to have a valid drivers’ license but they are also more likely to have a high blood alcohol content level than urban drivers.
Whether a serious or fatal car accident occurred in an urban area or in a rural area, victims have legal rights. These rights include the ability to bring a lawsuit against a negligent driver. This blog post should only be used as general information, however, and those injured in a car accident can seek specific legal advice from an attorney.
