The odds of fatal accidents are not the same everywhere. It is true that fatal crashes can happen on any type of road, but there can be some large differences in the statistical probability based on the driver’s location.
This is perhaps demonstrated best when looking at the difference between city streets and rural roads. Someone on a rural road experiences a far greater level of risk. The odds of a fatal crash are three to 10 times higher.
This is often surprising for drivers to hear because rural roads tend to feel simple and even peaceful. City streets tend to feel chaotic and confusing. But despite how they feel, rural roads have a higher fatal accident rate.
2 key reasons
There are many reasons why this happens, the first of which is simply that speed limits tend to be higher. An accident could happen at 60 miles an hour, or even 70 miles an hour on the interstate.
Say that two cars are involved in a head-on collision at 60 miles an hour, for a total impact speed of 120 mph. Even if the exact same type of accident happened on a city street, if both drivers were only traveling 30 mph, the odds would be far lower that they would experience fatal injuries.
The second reason is simply that these rural roads are often more remote, so accidents may happen at a substantial distance from the nearest hospital. Some injuries, such as internal bleeding or bleeding around the brain, are time-sensitive. If there is a delay in how quickly the EMTs can arrive at the scene or how quickly the patient can be transported to the hospital, their odds of passing away go up substantially.
Your legal rights
Have you lost a loved one in a fatal car accident caused by another driver? If so, it is very important to understand all of the legal rights you have to seek compensation for lost earnings, funeral and burial costs, medical bills and other damages.