Higher Accident Risks on Indiana Rural Roads
A comparative study of all 50 states and the District of Colombia finds that a person's risk of being seriously or fatally injured in an accident increases significantly if the accident occurs on a rural road. In fact, Indiana had an accident death rate of 10.8 per 100,000 population in 2009. That is close to the national average of 11.0, and can be traced to the large number of deaths that occur here on the state's rural roads. The study found that states like Massachusetts and Washington that don't have as many rural roads, have a much lower accident death rate than states with more number of rural roads.
It has been no secret to Indiana accident attorneys that the state's rural roads are fatal accident magnets. Rural roads suffer from a number of deficiencies that increase a person's risk of being involved in an accident on these roads. For instance, for the most part, Indiana’s rural roads are narrow two-lane roads, that come with no center dividers, or any other safety aids to prevent accidents. As a result, drivers have a higher chance of being involved in crashes on these roads.
Besides, because of the absence of center dividers, many of these accidents tend to be head-on accidents that cause serious injuries or fatalities. There are other reasons why rural roads in Indiana are so dangerous. These roads don't feature high on the priority list for state law enforcement agencies. Indiana's law enforcement agencies have strained resources, and most of their efforts are directed in urban areas. It’s the reason why you see fewer campaigns against intoxicated driving or distracted driving on rural roads. It's also why you see fewer numbers of officers pulling cars over and ticketing people for violating seat belt and child restraint laws on these roads. This contributes to a higher number of fatalities on Indiana's rural roads every year, which adds to the state's overall accident fatality toll.
