In upstate New York, especially northern New York, much of our driving is on rural two-lane roads with maximum speed limits of 55 mph. With much less traffic than in urban driving, you might think rural driving would be safer, with fewer collisions.

A Google search on this question finds that rural driving is significantly more dangerous, with a higher fatality rate per mile traveled than in urban areas. While urban areas have more overall crashes, rural crashes are more severe and deadly due to higher speeds, longer emergency response times and lower seat belt usage. Almost half of all fatal crashes in the United States occur on rural roads, even though only 19% of the population lives there. Rural driving accounts for just 31% of vehicle miles traveled.

Rural driving is more dangerous because of several factors, such as:

¯ Road conditions: Rural roads often have physical characteristics that contribute to crashes, including tighter curves, limited visibility, less lighting and a lack of shoulders. Roadway-departure crashes are especially common.

¯ Reasonable and prudent speed: Just because the posted speed limit is 55 mph, drivers don’t need to travel that fast, depending on weather and road conditions, including winding roads.

¯ Greater severity: Because rural roads often have higher speed limits and collisions happen at greater velocities, crashes are more severe and deadly. In 2022, 68% of drivers killed in rural crashes died at the scene, compared to 52% in urban areas.

¯ Behavioral factors: Drivers on rural roads are more prone to speeding, failure to use seat belts and driving while distracted or impaired.

¯ Limited resources: Rural areas often have fewer resources and less funding for road maintenance and traffic safety initiatives, exacerbating safety problems.

¯ Wildlife: Collisions with wildlife are a frequent and unpredictable hazard on rural roads, particularly at dusk and dawn.

¯ Longer emergency response: Greater distances between towns and longer response times to emergencies on rural roads can lead to more severe outcomes in the event of a crash.

Some factors why urban driving has more crashes include:

¯ High traffic volume: Urban environments have a much higher density of traffic, which inherently increases the number of interactions and potential points of conflict for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.

¯ Complexity of traffic: Drivers must navigate complex environments with many intersections, pedestrians and other road users, requiring constant vigilance and quick decision-making.

¯ Interactions with vulnerable road users: Urban drivers must share the road with a large number of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, increasing potential collision points.

Statistics show that 94% of all traffic crashes have driver error as a contributing factor. No matter where you are driving, whether it’s rural or urban, pay 100% attention to your driving task. It could mean the difference between life and death.