The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released a detailed study of vehicle crashes from the year 2010 which found that 55% of fatal crashes happened in rural areas.  That’s 2.5 times the rate of fatal crashes for urban areas, despite the fact that only 19% of the population lives in rural areas – or maybe because of that.

Rural roads tend to be narrow, two lanes and can be full of sharp curves and hills that limit sight distance.  Drivers who are comfortable in urban and suburban settings just may not have the experience to survive the particular challenges these roads present.  They require an understanding of how the laws of physics impact your car as well as a keen attention to detail, both in seeing/understanding the advance warning signs and interpreting the road ahead for danger.

Pennsylvania fared slightly better than the national average, but more than half the fatal crashes during that year happened in rural environments.  Pennsylvania ranked sixth nationwide in the number of deaths on rural roads.

To see the complete NHTSA report, click here.

Modern Driver Institute trains students on some of the most challenging rural roads in the area as part of our standard program.