America has millions of miles of country roads, paved and unpaved. They meander through some of the most scenic areas in the country and are also the main roadways for many Americans who live in rural areas. Unfortunately, these often scenic roads also contain the most potential for fatal auto accidents.
In North Carolina, motor vehicles travel on more than 100,000 miles of state-maintained roadways, most of which are in rural areas. They are one- or two-lane roads and often are not as well-maintained or as safely designed as the major interstate roads.
A study from the Advocates for Auto and Highway Safety examined rural roads across the country and concluded that rural roads are more dangerous than freeways or highways. In North Carolina, a representative from AAA of the Carolinas confirmed that this was a well-known fact in the state.
The study found that urban areas have the lowest number of fatal accidents, as opposed to states like Mississippi and Wyoming with less population and more rural roads, which had the most fatal car and truck accidents.
Rural roads in North Carolina are often not well-marked or lined. Many are narrow, making it difficult for vehicles approaching each other from opposite directions to safely pass. At night, when there are few if any lights illuminating the roads other than headlights, the conditions become that much more dangerous. Shoulder drop-offs also contribute to the danger.
North Carolina had 891 fatal accidents in 2010, with about half occurring on rural roads. Interstates obviously have better sighting distances, are wider, have shoulders, and better lighting. There may also be more chances to avoid an auto accident than on a rural road where swerving to avoid animals or while fighting fatigue can readily lead to a vehicle striking a tree or going down an embankment.
While only about half of all North Carolina car accidents occur on rural roads, the fatality rate is higher confirming that speed, fatigue and obstacles on the road create greater hazards on rural roads.
