Motor vehicle accidents can happen anywhere in North Carolina. It doesn’t matter if you’re driving in a congested city or on a rural road. Collisions may occur in virtually any part of the state.
That said, research indicates that certain types of accidents may be more common in rural areas, while others may be more common in cities. Consider the following examples:
High-Speed Collisions
Cities are often fairly crowded. On the one hand, this can result in more opportunities for motor vehicle collisions to occur.
However, because cities are crowded, typically, motor vehicles in urban areas aren’t traveling at high rates of speed. That’s not the case in the country. Statistically, high-speed collisions are more common in rural areas where drivers have more freedom of movement.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions are substantially more common in cities than in the country. This should come as no surprise. Again, there tend to be large numbers of vehicles on city streets. As such, drivers rear-end one another more frequently in this type of environment.
Pedestrian Accidents
Research into the rates of pedestrian accidents in cities vs. rural areas has yielded various findings. On the one hand, as you might expect, pedestrian accidents generally occur more often in cities, due to the large volume of pedestrian traffic in urban areas.
That said, it’s worth noting that cities often have sidewalks and infrastructure to allow pedestrians to navigate safely. In rural areas where such infrastructure is lacking, pedestrians may actually be at an increased risk of being harmed in accidents. The reason why pedestrian accidents occur more often in cities is simply due to the fact that pedestrian traffic in general is more abundant in urban areas.
Bicycle Accidents
Bicycle accidents are similar to pedestrian accidents in regard to how frequently they occur in cities and how frequently they occur in the country. Bicycles are popular in cities, and therefore, more bicycle accidents occur in and around cities. Again, though, the risk to bicyclists in rural areas without the necessary infrastructure could be surprisingly high.
Intersection Accidents
Roads tend to intersect far more often in cities than in the country. As such, intersection accidents, such as side-impact collisions, are more common in cities.
That said, wildlife is far more common in the country than in an urban environment. Rural drivers who don’t have to worry much about the hazards of intersections do need to consider how the presence of wildlife can increase their chances of being involved in accidents.
The main point to understand is that you need to practice safe driving habits regardless of what region you happen to be driving in. However, even if you’re careful, it’s possible to be involved in a collision if a motorist sharing the road with you is negligent.
Has this happened to you? If so, review your case with a Charlotte car accident attorney at Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC. We may be able to help you secure financial compensation for your medical bills and other such losses. Get started today by contacting us online or calling us at 704-335-1500.