Oxfordshire, England – Young drivers in rural areas are 37 percent more likely to be involved in an injury-causing roadway incident compared with their urban counterparts, according to a UK-based study (.pdf file) released in February by Road Safety Analysis.
Researchers studied injury collision data for rural and urban drivers between 16 and 29 years old in Great Britain. One reason attributed to the increase in roadway injuries was a difference in miles driven, with rural drivers clocking 31 percent more miles than urban ones, the report stated.
Researchers recommend policy-makers be made aware of rural drivers’ elevated risk and make adjustments in driver education and testing for rural drivers. Dan Campsall, director of Road Safety Analysis, said in a press release that changing the transportation infrastructure and increasing public transportation options could help decrease the number of miles driven by this population and consequently decrease injury risk.
