Are Texas Rural Roads More Dangerous Than City Roads?

Do more car accidents happen in Texas cities or country areas? While it may seem likely that urban areas are more dangerous, rural roads present unique challenges to drivers that make serious car accidents a real threat. 

So, where are you more likely to experience a car wreck in Texas – in the city or the country? We’ll answer this question below. 

Do More Car Accidents Happen in Texas Cities or Country?

The 2020 records for rural and urban car crashes in Texas show that urban areas are responsible for a higher number of crashes and a far higher number of injuries than rural areas. However, one notable statistic bucks the trend: country roads resulted in more fatalities than urban areas in 2020 (1,988 vs. 1,908).

What does this tell us about the dangers of driving in rural areas? First and foremost, it shows that while the total number of crashes might be lower, rural car accidents in Texas have a far higher fatality rate proportionally than urban accidents.

Why Are Rural Roads So Dangerous?

There are several reasons why driving in the country can be more dangerous than in the city.

1. Total darkness. City lights mean that your headlights are rarely the only source of illumination. This gives you and other drivers better peripheral vision and helps warn of oncoming traffic before it’s too late.
2. Higher speeds. Urban areas typically have much lower speed limits than country areas. Furthermore, the increased presence of traffic cameras and police in urban locations means that drivers are far less likely to exceed the speed limit than on country roads. As a result, high-speed crashes are much more likely to result in fatalities, leading to the unusually high fatality rate for rural car wrecks in Texas.
3. Inattentive drivers. Driving in the country allows drivers to switch off even though they shouldn’t. Carelessness on the road can cost lives.
4. Wildlife. Large animals like deer or livestock can appear suddenly on dark country roads. Drivers swerving at high speed or even impacting large animals can easily end up in a car wreck.
5. Narrow roads. The divide between traffic lanes is less clear in the country – there may be no markings, or the road could be narrower than a city street. This increases the risk of lethal head-on collisions.

Driving in rural areas requires an attentive eye on the road and other vehicles. Negligent driving is a prosecutable offense, wherever you are.

What to Do If You’re Involved in a Car Wreck on a Rural Road in Texas?

If you’re involved in a car wreck caused by a negligent driver in the country, the first step is to find a trustworthy auto accident attorney. Unfortunately, establishing fault is difficult in cases where there are no witnesses or cameras, meaning that you’ll need expert advice to obtain the damages you’re entitled to.

Depending on the nature of the accident, it’s also possible that the other party leaves the scene without handing over insurance details. In these cases, you’ll need an auto accident attorney to work with the police and attempt to identify the vehicle that collided with you.

Remembering every detail you can about the other party and the way they were driving is vital for building a case. Your attorney can help you present a more convincing case to the court in this way.

If you’ve been injured by the negligence of another, you could hire any auto accident lawyer near you, or you can hire West Houston automobile crash attorneys. Joe Stephens has been defending injury victims in Texas for over 3 decades from negligent individuals, companies, and greedy insurance companies. As a client focused car wreck attorney in Katy, TX, Joe handles all cases personally, and his staff is always available to answer questions.

If You Were Injured in a Car Wreck Call West Houston Injury Attorney Joe Stephens Now

So do more car accidents happen in Texas cities or the country? Cities may have a higher total accident rate, but rural roads are dangerous and result in some of the worst collisions and car wrecks. Contact the Joe Stephens law firm today if you’ve been involved in a rural car wreck in Texas.

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