Many rural villages rely on huge trucks to supply products and replenish their stores and businesses. This implies that many huge commercial vehicles drive long distances on rural routes rather than interstates. Rural roads are much more dangerous than interstate routes, and accidents are regular.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 60% of all incidents between a heavy truck and a car take place in rural regions. If you have been involved in an accident with a large commercial vehicle, you should call a qualified Las Vegas truck accident lawyer as soon as possible for a consultation.
The dangers of rural roads for large vehicles
There are several reasons why rural roads pose more hazards than freeways, particularly when it comes to semi-trucks. Highways have consistent speed restrictions, are often straight, and are even paved. There are five reasons why rural roads are more dangerous than main streets and freeways.
Lack of safety barriers
Highways and major roads in cities and densely inhabited areas frequently have the means and money to invest in infrastructure. On certain routes, you will notice a lot more safety obstacles meant to halt out-of-control automobiles. In less densely populated regions with more rural roads, the community is less likely to have the funds to pay for safety structures and upkeep.
As a result, there are likely to be fewer safety obstacles to prevent cars from launching off sloping corners or colliding with forested regions. With semi-trucks included, you may go off the road or make an emergency turn to avoid colliding with a truck, and there may be no barrier to prevent you from careening off the road.
Varied road surface
While the general public less uses rural roads, a greater number of those living in such locations will utilize them as their primary mode of transportation. This implies that road maintenance is vital, yet in many situations, due to the aforementioned lack of financing, roads are neglected, resulting in numerous deep potholes, deteriorating shoulders, and washed-away dirt or gravel roads.
As you might expect, these roads are not only unsafe for the typical automobile or motorcycle but also for semi-trucks. When heavy trucks have to handle such bad roads, they become much more harmful to other vehicles.
Increased chances of surprise hazards
Driving on highways allows you to see more ahead of you. Animals darting onto the road are less probable, and falling trees or branches are unusual enough to obstruct traffic; if they do, the Department of Transportation removes them swiftly. On rural roads, there are no such guarantees. Because rural roads are more likely to be in nature and calmer than bustling interstates, animals are more likely to attempt to cross over to the other side.