Many drivers feel like the interstate is more dangerous than a local road or a smaller highway. This is especially true with young drivers. Often, student drivers are quite nervous to go on the interstate for the first time.
The reason they feel so nervous is generally the speed. Speed limits are much higher and traffic moves quickly. This is intimidating to young drivers as they try to process information and make proper decisions. But is the interstate actually more dangerous? Studies suggest the opposite.
Reasons the interstate is safer
On a statistical basis, driving down the interstate is actually safer, and you are less likely to be involved in a serious accident.
The first reason for this is the manner in which that accident would occur. Because the highway is divided with a median or a wall, all traffic moves in the same direction. There are relatively few head-on collisions. Most crashes are rear-end accidents or sideswipe accidents. These are simply less likely to lead to significant injuries.
Additionally, the on-ramp and the off-ramp system means the traffic is always under control. Cars never cross in front of oncoming traffic. Left-hand turns are one of the most dangerous maneuvers anyone can make, and they occur all the time on city streets, but they do not happen on the interstate.
Do you need to seek compensation?
Of course, the interstate may be safer, but that doesn’t mean any road system is perfectly safe. Accidents and injuries happen every day; there are roughly 40,000 fatalities every year, not even counting injuries. Those who have been hurt due to the negligence of other drivers must know how to seek financial compensation.