Heard on the radio, this morning on my way to work:
"Highway Traffic Safety Administration studies have found that rural driving accidents results in 44% more traffic fatalities than city driving...Bottom line is that rural driving is much more dangerous than city driving."

That'* all they said and didn't follow it up with any more details, but it sure made me think. I have somehow always thought that city driving was more dangerous. The trick here might be the wording "traffic fatalities". Maybe there are more high speed accidents on rural roads. City driving is often less rapid.

Also the wording doesn't say that there are more accidents, just more fatalities per accident. I guess a lot of city accidents are fender benders at relatively slower speeds.

What do you think?

When a tree jumps out in front of you at 55 it'* a worse accident than a bumper tap.

And I wonder whether they consider highway driving as rural.

Think about it. It makes sense! In the cities, the speed limit is usually 30. Head on collision, 30+30=a 60 mph collision. In the country, it'* 55 mph...55+55=110 mph collision!!! Also, hitting a stationary object at 30 probably won't kill you. 55 mph....it could severely mess you up and possibly kill you.

It'* true that, when you think about it, it makes sense for the reasons we are saying. However, without having this brought to my attention, I would normally have assumed that rural driving is safer. It'* perception really.

Fewer people on the road, fewer distractions, more relaxed driving (enjoyable even). Vs. city bumper-to-bumper, road rage, traffic jambs, etc.

If someone had asked me yesterday, "Which is safer", I would have said rural driving without hesitation. Which, by the way, MAY still be true, since the study talks about fatalities per accident, not total fatalities. At least that'* how I read into the way they said it.

At the same time consider it is per accident. I would think rural has many less accidents.

You know me and my cop connections...anywho....

Same with winter driving v. summer driving. Winter you have more accidents, but summer you have more personal injury accidents. Speed is obviously the variable in both cases.

The biggest problem with rural driving (and I grew up very, very rural) is the familiarity.

"I've driven this road a million times. I can do it with my eyes closed" So, they pay less attention at higher speeds. In the city, you learn that every corner is a potential accident, so you're forced to stay more alert.

My opinion, anyways.

Statistics lie. I live out in the country and I hardly ever see accidents. Almost every day there is some sort of crash in the city. If there is an accident in rural areas it will be a single car collision, probably with a tree, pole, or wildlife.
Your chance of being killed in a rural accident are probably higher, but your chances of getting into that accident are ridiculously low compared to getting into a collision elsewhere.