In the Tampa Bay area, many of us travel on urban roads like I-275, Highway 60, U.S. 19, and Dale Mabry Highway on a daily basis and witness frequent car accidents. Surprisingly, however, several studies have deemed rural roads more dangerous and deadly than city roads due to increased mileage, curvature of the road, and other factors. The Tampa auto accident lawyers at Clark and Martino, P.A., have represented many Tampa Bay area residents who have been affected by serious car accidents on rural roads in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, and beyond. As lawyers who fight for the rights of the injured, we feel it’s important for Tampa-area drivers to be aware of the potential dangers of rural roads.

According to a study by the Georgia Institute of Technology, rural two-lane highways in the southeastern United States are the deadliest places to drive in the country. The Georgia Tech study showed that frequently, crashes in the Southeast—including Florida—occurred on rural roads in wooded areas where drivers ran off the road and hit a tree. Other deadly factors on rural roads are late-night driving and motorists impaired by fatigue or substances, the study found. Finally, the Georgia Tech study said one key factor in rural road car accidents is the 2.5- to 5-inch pavement drop-off on the edge of rural highways. The sharp, deep edge between the pavement and the shoulder is usually cased by soil erosion.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that deadly accidents occur more than twice as often on rural roads than on urban roads. According to the NHTSA, factors contributing to frequent fatal accidents on rural roads include:

Those who are injured during a one-vehicle accident on a rural road may believe a Tampa auto accident lawyer cannot help them because only one driver was involved in the accident. This, however, is not true. On the contrary, a Tampa car accident lawyer may be of assistance in any type of accident because insurance companies are not always willing to pay a fair amount for medical bills, lost wages, and the other losses experienced after a serious car accident. Please call Clark and Martino, P.A., to schedule a free initial consultation with a Tampa auto accident lawyer about your case.