Deaths On Rural North Carolina's Roads Among Highest In U.S.

A national study shows deaths on rural roads in North Carolina are among the highest in the nation.  North Carolina ranked third in the number of fatalities on its rural non-interstate roads, trailing only California and Texas, the two most populous states in the U.S.  The study from the national transportation research group TRIP looked at 2015 data, the most recent available, and found 855 people died on such roads in North Carolina that year.  The state has a far higher percentage of people living in rural areas (31%) – defined in the study as those in places with a population of 2500 or less – than California (3%) and Texas (14%), the two states in front of it.  But it doesn’t appear the quality of the roads are causing the problem in North Carolina.  The state was not in the top half when it came to the percentage of rural roads with poor pavement conditions.  That means the high number of deaths in rural North Carolina are likely due to the other causes listed by the authors of the study – like human behavior, vehicle safety features, emergency response times, and medical care of victims.