Have you ever wondered if there were more car accidents on our rural roads than in the metro areas of Louisville and nearby towns and cities? Recent accident data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tends to support that idea.
The short answer to the question is this: there are more car accidents with injuries per mile driven by rural drivers than by those who live and work in more urban areas. While there tend to be more accidents and injuries associated with those riding a bicycle or pedestrians in town, a larger portion of truck accidents, serious accidents, injuries, and deaths occur in the more rural areas of Bullitt, Hardin, Spencer, Shelby, and Oldham counties.
Kentucky drivers face a much larger chance of an accident, injury accident or the loss of their life in Kentucky’s rural areas. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) tracks statistics relating to car, truck, motorcycle and pedestrian/bicycle accidents and related injury and loss of life.
The USDOT noted that the number of accidents per mile driven yearly in rural areas exceeds urban data by more than 45%.
While the numbers of actual accidents and injuries are higher in the city, you are more likely to be involved in car accidents on our rural roads than in a town or city. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that our rural population in the US accounts for only 19% of the population and 31% of the total miles driven. However, the number of accidents, injuries, and loss of life is more than 40% higher for each mile driven in a rural setting than in a city or town.
You may feel safer in larger vehicles like SUVs or pickup trucks. However, the number of fatal motor vehicle accidents involving cars and minivans is actually exceeded by the loss of life in SUVs and pickup trucks each year.
It is very interesting to note the USDOT numbers show that 52% of loss of life in both urban and rural settings come from single-vehicle crashes, while only 48% of loss of life in an accident occurs in multiple-vehicle crashes.
One of the best steps one can take to reduce injury or loss of life is to make sure your seat belts are fastened. Only 44% of those who lost their lives in a motor vehicle accident in the most recent year of the study had their seat belts fastened.
Many people believe you’re more likely to get into a car accident at an intersection. However, the data leads to a different conclusion. For example, only 31% of fatal accidents occurred at an intersection in an urban setting and 15% in a rural area.
Many of the winding rural roads, state routes, and highways here in Kentucky lack proper lighting and regular maintenance. Wildlife add another aspect of risk in rural settings, however there are plenty of distractions in an urban environment as well.
While the numbers tell us that there aren’t more car accidents on our rural roads than in Louisville and other surrounding towns. However, when you weigh in the severity of the accidents and injuries and the risk of an accident for each mile driven, a rural driver faces the greater risk of an accident or injury.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident, motorcycle crash or truck accident in Shepherdsville, Mount Washington, Shelbyville, Taylorsville, Radcliff, Elizabethtown, Jeffersontown or the surrounding rural areas and communities you will need an experienced personal injury attorney. My name is John Schmidt, and after more than 25 years of service to these communities I can tell you the two most important things to know if you are involved in a motor vehicle collision:
- See a doctor within 24 to 48 hours, even if you think you aren’t injured. Many injuries take days or even weeks before showing symptoms. The failure to see a doctor allows the responsible insurance company to decline an otherwise valid personal injury claim.
- You are not required to speak with insurance adjusters, and in fact, it is not in your best interest to speak with any insurance adjuster until you have the advice and counsel of the Law Offices of John Schmidt & Associates, PLLC.
We invite you to contact us via e-mail, schedule an appointment or call us today at (502) 509-1490 to get the important advice and counsel required to protect your personal injury claim and achieve full and fair compensation for having to endure and recover from your injuries.
