1.60

0.8

0

C

ensus data continue to show America is an increasingly

urban society. More of us now live in cities, planned

communities, and suburban areas than in rural areas.

Not surprisingly, we travel more on urban roads than on

rural roads (1,627,705 million vehicle miles [M VMT]

are driven annually in urban areas, compared with

1,063,630 M VMT in rural areas). However, in 1999,

60 percent of all U.S. motor vehicle fatalities and 64

percent of all speeding-related fatalities occurred on

rural roads.* As seen in Figure 1 below, two out of every

three speeding-related fatalities occur in rural areas.

Speeding ó driving too fast for conditions or exceeding

the legal speed limit ó is a problem on all roadways

nationwide. But, on the less-forgiving rural roadways,

speeding takes a deadly toll.

Fatal Consequences of Speed on Rural Roads

As seen in Figure 2, fatality rates on rural roads are much

higher than fatality rates on urban roads. The difference

is more pronounced for speeding-related rates than

for nonspeeding-related rates. The reasons for the dramatic

difference in fatality rates on rural and urban roadways

reflect several factors related to crashes on rural roads.

First, rural roads have a higher incidence of severe

crashes, including run-off-road and rollover crashes.

Second, rough terrain, less vehicle traffic, longer

intervals between a crash and time of discovery, and

lower level of available trauma care tend to make the

injury outcomes for rural travelers more severe.

Fatality Statistics Vary According

to Roadway Type

Across both rural and urban areas of the United States,

very few speeding-related fatalities occur on the Interstates

ó the roadways with the highest posted speed limits. Rural

Interstates, in particular, usually have the highest speed

limits of any roadway in a State. Almost 1 in 4 speedingrelated fatalities occurs on local roads, in both urban and

rural areas. Yet rural areas differ from urban areas in

speed-related statistics.

* The definition of ìurbanî used in this publication complies with the Congressional definition used in Federal-aid legislation. As a minimum, an

urban area includes a census place with an urban population of 5,000 to 49,000, or a designated urban area with a population of 50,000

or more. ìRuralî is defined as anything not urban.

Speeding in Rural Areas

Figure 1. Speeding-Related Fatalities,

Rural vs. Urban (1999, U.S.)

Figure 2. Fatality Rates by Speeding Status,

Rural vs. Urban

(Fatalities per 100 M VMT) (1999, U.S.)

Rural

Urban

1.60

0.68

0.80

0.29

F/100 VMT

Nonspeeding

Related

Speeding

Related

Rural

64%

(8,479)

Urban

36%

(4,792)
Frequency

Figures 3 and 4 show the distributions of speeding-related

fatalities by road class for rural versus urban areas. For

example, in urban areas, crashes on arterials account for

more than half of all speeding-related fatalities. In rural

areas, fatalities on arterials account for less than a third

and urban rates. In rural areas, crashes on collectors

account for one-third of speeding-related fatalities and

have a speeding-related fatality rate of 1.06. By

contrast, urban-area collectors account for only 8

percent of speeding-related fatalities and have a

speeding-related fatality rate of 0.29.

The fatality rates for speeding-related crashes in rural areas

increase progressively as the road function class lowers

(see Figure 5). This is in contrast to the nonspeedingrelated fatality rates in rural areas ó rural rates rise

sharply off the Interstates (more than double) and remain

relatively high (see Figure 6).

Where We Drive Makes a Difference

Many rural roads evolved from farm roads upgraded to

accommodate increased traffic volumes and vehicle size.

In many areas, farmers, commuters, school buses, trucks,

and tourists share roads with narrow lanes, limited sight

distance, less enforcement, and lack of clear roadsides. In

rural areas, legal speeds on collector and local roads are

often higher than their urban counterparts. On rural roads,

unlike urban roads, traffic is not often slowed by frequent

traffic signals, stop signs, and traffic congestion.

SPEEDING COUNTS . . . on all roads, but speeding in

rural areas can have more tragic consequences than in

urban areas. It is especially critical for drivers to adjust

their travel speeds to roadway characteristics, weather, or

traffic conditions.

FHWA Safety

November 2000

of all speeding-related fatalities. This finding undoubtedly

reflects differences in the number of miles of arterial roads

in urban areas versus rural areas and the different traffic

volumes carried in urban versus rural areas. We can

normalize or adjust for these differences by comparing

fatality rates per 100 M VMT as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

Rates

As the graphs below illustrate, fatality rates in rural

areas are frequently double ó or triple ó those in

urban areas. Collectors and locals have the highest

rates and show the greatest differences between rural

Figure 6. Nonspeeding-Related Fatality Rates by Highway Class,

Rural vs. Urban

(Fatalities per 100 M VMT) (1999)

Figure 5. Speeding-Related Fatality Rates by Highway Class,

Rural vs. Urban

(Fatalities per 100 M VMT) (1999)

Figure 3. Rural Distribution of

Speeding-Related Fatalities by

Highway Class.

(8,479 ñ 1999)

Figure 4. Urban Distribution of

Speeding-Related Fatalities by

Highway Class.

(4,792 ñ 1999)

Locals

24%

Interstate

12%

Arterials

29%

Collectors

33%

Locals

21%

Interstate

17%

Arterials

54%

Collectors

8%

Rural

Urban

Interstate Arterials Collector Locals

2.50

2.00

1.50

1.00

0.50

0.00

0.40

0.21

0.60

0.30

1.06

0.29

0.42

1.62

Interstate Arterials Collector Locals

Rural

2.50 Urban

2.00

1.50

1.00

0.50

0.00

0.85

0.40

1.71

0.79

1.80

0.49

0.82

2.17