Motorists in rural areas in states like Georgia that have higher speed limits in these communities are likely to be at a much higher risk of car accidents compared to motorists in those states where the speed limits in rural communities are lower. However, speed is not the only factor in the high rate of auto accidents in rural areas.
More insight about the risks of travelling on rural roads is contained in a new report by the Governors’ Highway Safety Association and State Farm. The report titled “America’s Rural Roads : Beautiful and Deadly” focuses on the high rate of car accidents in rural roads and analyses the factors in these auto accidents.
Motorists in rural Georgia may drive at a speed limit of 70 mph on most roads. That speed limit is on the higher end as the report suggests. Out of the 12 states with the lowest per capita rate of car accidents on rural roads, 7 were states with a maximum speed limit of 65 mph or less. Only two states had a maximum speed limit of 75 mph. This seems to be a clear indication that high speeds – which are very easy to achieve on low trafficked rural roads – can be a factor in these auto accidents.
Many of the factors responsible for causing car accidents in rural communities are very similar to those that affect auto accident rates in urban areas as well. For instance, in 2020, the most recent year for which statistics are available, there were a total of 16,665 car accident deaths in rural areas, compared to a total of 22,159 auto accident deaths in urban areas. In 2020, the population of urban areas was just 19% across the United States, compared to a population of 81% that resides in urban areas. In spite of the low population in rural areas, 45% of auto accident deaths between 2016 and 2020 occurred in these areas.
Not only are car accident risks much higher on rural roads compared to urban roads, but the risk of dying in these auto accidents is also much higher. In 2020, a person’s risk of being killed in a car accident on a rural road was 62% higher than in an auto accident occurring on an urban road. Male drivers and passengers are more likely to be killed in car accidents in both urban or rural roads, but the gap between male and females narrows significantly in the case of a rural road car accident.
One of the major factors that impact the risk of death in auto accidents occurring on rural roads is obviously the lack of access to emergency medical care. Medical experts recommend that critically important emergency medical care be provided within the first hour after the injuries occur. Unfortunately, on a rural road, lack of connectivity may delay access to such lifesaving health care facilities, increasing the risk of death.
The Atlanta car crash attorneys at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons injured in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident, talk to a lawyer at our firm and determine if you have legal options to a claim for damages. You may be eligible for compensation that includes medical expenses, lost income and other types of damages. Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your case.