Question: What is the most dangerous type of road to drive on?

Answer: Most people assume, because of the high speeds involved, that interstates or freeways are the most dangerous type of road but they aren’t. The most dangerous type of roads for all drivers but especially for teens are two-lane country or rural roads. Fifty-seven percent of teens killed in traffic crashes die on rural roads.

The reason that rural roads are so dangerous is that they are usually narrow and tend to curve and wind and can also be hilly. These types of roads leave very little room for escape in an emergency. At night they can be especially dangerous because it is hard to see curves or other hazards ahead.

Often drivers drive too fast on these roads and, even though there are usually signs pointing out a curve ahead, they enter the curve at too high a speed and can’t keep the car on the road. If a driver is distracted and drives off the side of the road, there is usually little or no room to recover. Drivers also can become frustrated when stuck behind slower vehicles ahead and that may lead them to take stupid chances such as passing in a no-passing zone where they can’t see the road ahead.