Car accidents can happen anywhere at any time. Even though accidents can happen anywhere, the chances of an accident happening differ based on where the driver is. Knowing the differences and their dangers can be a powerful tool in avoiding car accidents or deaths.
In 2018, a death in a car accident was twice as likely in rural areas compared to urban locations. What is it about rural areas that are twice as deadly as urban areas?
Rural differences
Rural environments offer different features compared to urban areas. In a rural area, there are typically many more wide-open fields that surround roadways. These fields are commonplace for ATV riders to drive. If an ATV does not have the proper signaling equipment, they may not catch the attention of a truck coming down the road they are on.
Wildlife can also be a threat to drivers. Deer, coyotes, wolves, raccoons, and possums are all large enough to cause considerable damage to a vehicle and even result in fatalities from the accident. Wildlife is extremely hard to see at night, and the glint of headlights on their eyes may be all the warning you get before a disaster.
In addition to off-road vehicles and wildlife being a danger to drivers going through a rural area, time is also a danger when a life is on the line the scene of an accident, every second counts. The longer it takes an ambulance to arrive or to get to a hospital, the more danger the victim of an accident is in.
Prepare for your environment
Urban areas have their own threats to drivers, like pedestrians, high-traffic intersections, and more frequent construction zones. If a driver is more familiar with the location they are driving through and its dangers, it can help avoid dangerous car accidents.
