Drivers in Louisiana who are more familiar with traveling through the heavily populated areas may think that traveling in the countryside is safer. In reality, though, rural roads can sometimes be more dangerous than urban roads, especially for those who lack the experience of navigating them.
Drivers may not be aware just how many fatal accidents occur on rural roads. Part of the reason is that rural areas are far from any hospitals, so crash victims may die before ever receiving medical attention. Another reason is speed. Many drivers feel compelled to speed by the lack of traffic and the perceived absence of police. Drivers may feel compelled to other types of unsafe behavior because of this, such as seat belt neglect, lane drifting, inattentive driving in general or even drinking and driving. Therefore, it’s essential for safety-minded drivers to never let their guard down in rural areas. On the contrary, they should be ever more willing to practice defensive driving in these regions.
Drivers must also be aware of the dangers that are inherent to rural roads. Such roads are usually narrow and only have two lanes, so head-on collisions are not unheard of. Animals can dart out more frequently on such roads, too, and there can be a perilous lack of street lights.
Under personal injury law, those who were injured in a crash may be able to recover damages. Their success will depend on proving the other side’s negligence. If victims contributed to a certain degree to their own injuries, such as by failing to wear a seat belt, then they will likely receive less in their settlement. To pursue a fair settlement, victims may hire a lawyer, who might in turn hire crash investigators and others to help with the case.