Rural road crashes remain a major public safety challenge, with distracted driving, speeding, and roadway conditions contributing to thousands of fatalities each year
Many drivers assume congested city streets are more dangerous than rural roads, but research suggests otherwise. According to Nationwide’s 2024 Driving Behaviors Survey, fewer than 5% of respondents believe rural roads present the greatest risk. However, federal traffic data tells a different story.
In 2021, the United States recorded 42,939 traffic fatalities. Of those, 17,103 deaths—40% of the total—occurred on rural roads, even though only 20% of the U.S. population lived in rural areas. Rural roads also had a fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled that was 1.5 times higher than urban roads.
To better understand the challenges facing motorists, Nationwide surveyed 1,800 consumer and commercial drivers. The findings revealed that rural roads present unique hazards that are often overlooked by drivers, making them particularly dangerous for farmers, commercial operators, and rural residents.
“We conducted the survey to better understand the challenges impacting our customers and agents, and learn how we can better support them,” said Nationwide Senior Associate Vice President for Agribusiness Risk Management Laramie Sandquist.
The Federal Highway Administration attributes the higher crash fatality rate on rural roads to several factors, including sharp curves, limited visibility, poor lighting, narrow shoulders, speeding, impaired driving, inconsistent seat belt use, and longer emergency response times following crashes.
"While there are many causes of rural road accidents, staying distraction-free is key," Sandquist said. "Our survey finds one-third of commercial drivers admit they sometimes or often feel distracted behind the wheel. That’s why we created the Drive the 5 safety program to help transform driving behavior."
Nationwide encourages drivers to prepare their routes before traveling in unfamiliar rural areas and remain focused behind the wheel. Limiting distractions from mobile phones, GPS devices, work-related messages, and social media can significantly reduce crash risks.
”Driver error, distracted driving and fatigue are among the leading causes for accidents on rural roads. That’s why knowing the hazards of the environment around you, causes of distracted driving, and how to avoid them is so important to us at Nationwide,” Sandquist said.
To promote safer driving, Nationwide’s Drive the 5 program provides safety training and practical guidance for drivers in the agriculture, food, and fuel industries.
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