Are YOU Surprised? U.S.' Most DANGEROUS Roads Aren't In The City...

Doesn't surprise me a bit, I have seen an Accord crunched down to about 2ft long between gravel hauling semis on a rural road that I used to take on the way home. The road had a large quarry on it and with lots of hills and unprotected turns I used to be concerned driving down it and saw a lot of what appeared to be deadly accidents. Also the drivers in those gravel semis seemed pretty crazy, it was not unusual to crest a hill and see one gravel hauling semi trying to pass another one in a no passing zone.

Not surprised at all. Though I believe the rate of all accidents (including non fatal) per 100,000 in population is significantly higher in urban areas (until
someone proves it otherwise).

It appears that red states are well represented in the most dangerous category, while Illinois and NY are among the safest.

I'm surprised that California isn't higher. After all, we divert gas tax money to give illegals the good life while our roads crumble. Then with all the FOTBs that come here and drive like they are still in their deplorable shithole countries, driving in California is dangerous. Maybe because they are breeding new ones so fast, the death rate can't go down.

Rural roads are definitely more deadly than Urban. There are less traffic lights, less law enforcement and less divided highways.

Add in less money and less resources to maintain them as well.

WHen I first moved into my home - the major "Road" it was on was not paved - and for years was only Tar and Gravel - and even when it finally was Paved - they simply paved over the old mess - never opened up the ground and properly prepared what is beneath the road - which is why it gets wavy in hot weather from Truck Traffic.

THere are just not enough residences on this COUNTY road - to even warrant snow removal in the winter. Local residents must clear the road on their side through to the center of the road - often fight each other by simply shoving the snow to the other side - and is the reason why I have a huge commercial double auger snow blower that is 8 feet wide - because I actually have MILES of road to clear (THe Tractor was over 35 years old when I got it years ago - no parts available I have to make them - but it sure does work!)

Colorado and Washington are among states that becamess less safe. Both approved recreational marijuana use without corresponding ways to measure impairment. This needs to be considered too, not just speed limit increases.

Go drug culture!

Speeding is a choice. And the chart shows by the uptick in fatalities (deaths). I would say that this data likely correlates with lack of a post secondary education and a lower income demographic. Drivers are not smart enough to know they are putting their lives in danger when they speed and they don't really care as they don't have much stake in the game as they are not leading successful lives. If you value your life and what you have accomplished, you don't make a habit of excessively speeding to the point of losing control of your car and dying in a wreck.

So are you saying education level is a driving factor in roadway deaths? I think that is a big reach.

@Truthy- Give it some thought. This isn't a little bit over the limit speeding. This is going so fast you can't stop, can't recover from the skid, lose control of your car and die speeding. As Forest said, stupid is as stupid does.

I do not think driving like an idiot is class dependent. I have witnessed many an asshat drive their new expensive toys as though merely owning a performance car makes you a better driver. And in the winter I see many new SUVs in ditches because the drivers somehow felt AWD made them impervious to ice and snow.
Stupidity is a reason, but it is not based on education level.
I am waiting for some of the Elon fanboys to chip in to say if we were all driving Teslas there would be no road deaths.

@Truthy you are still missing it. Ending up in a ditch because of weather conditions or not putting your snow tires on when you should have or thinking your SUV can stop as well as it can go in the winter (it can't) are common mistakes a lot of drivers make. Millions of them...

Turning your car into bits at 120mph and buying yourself a ticket to the great beyond at the same time is for Darwin award winners. 37,000 of them to be precise. Most educated, successful people are just not that stupid. Having a wife, kids a home and a business gives you plenty of reasons to want to live and drive responsibly. We will never know the breakdown, but I will stand by my guess that these 37,000 poor souls were not the smartest tools in the shed.

Quick! No one move and no one dies!