Rural Roads Responsible for More than Half of Road Accidents

The University of Minnesota is the home of the McNamara Alumni Center which houses a new clearing house for safety on rural roads. Deputy Transportation Secretary Thomas Barrett described the situation this way,

"Rural roads carry less than half of America's traffic, but they are home to far more than half of the nation's vehicular deaths. The death rates on rural roads are almost twice what they are on urban or interstate highways."

Barrett also noted behavioral differences in rural versus city accidents. "They're more likely to take place at higher speeds. The incidence of people driving under the influence is higher. The rate of seat belt usage is lower. The lowest seat belt usage we have in this country are by drivers of pickup trucks."

kare11 in Minneapolis/St. Paul tells the full story here. From our viewpoint, the most important part is about a new "Device (that) will tell parents when their children are speeding".