New Site Launched for Rural Transportation Safety
A new safety Web site, www.ruralsafety.umn.edu, has been launched to help publicize national rural transportation safety research projects to policymakers and the public. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials touted the new site Feb. 27, although CERS itself has been around since mid-2005.
The center's research involves policy, behavior, and technology innovations through projects addressing safety planning, emergency response, human factors, and more. Its site notes that three-fourths of the public roadway mileage in the United States, or more than 3 million miles of roads, is considered rural, and 60 percent of the fatal crashes each year occur on rural roads -- even though those roads account for only 40 percent of vehicle miles traveled.
CERS says crash victims are five to seven times more likely to die if arrival to a hospital exceeds 30 minutes, and travel time to hospitals in rural areas average 52 minutes (vs. 34 minutes in urban areas).