Deadly traffic accidents are still far more likely to be rural

Traffic death rates (rural, urban and overall) per million vehicle miles traveled (NHTSA graph)

Though only 19 percent of Americans live in rural areas, rural roads account for 31% of miles traveled in vehicles, and 43% of motor vehicle traffic fatalities in 2020 happened in rural areas, according to the latest figures published by the Transportation Department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The frequency of fatal accidents per mile traveled increased markedly in 2020, more so in urban areas than rural, but 2020 was the second consecutive year that the rural rate increased, after two years of decline. Here are detailed findings from the report:

• Of the 38,824 motor vehicle traffic fatalities in 2020, 16,665 (43%) happened in rural areas, compared to 21,650 (56%) in urban areas, and 509 (1%) in areas of unknown land use.
• Rural traffic fatalities increased by 2% from 2019 to 2020, while urban traffic fatalities increased by 9% in the same time period.
• Speeding was a major factor in 28% of rural traffic fatalities in 2020, compared to 30% of urban traffic fatalities that year.
• Fatalities related to alcohol-impaired driving increased by 9% in rural areas from 2019 to 2020, compared to a 17% increase in urban areas in the same time period.
• Alcohol-related traffic fatalities in both rural and urban areas increased from 28% in 2019 to 30% in 2020.
• Front-seat passengers in rural and urban areas had similar rates of seatbelt use, with about 89.9% of passengers in rural areas vs. 90.5% of urban passengers.
• Vehicle passengers in rural traffic fatalities were slightly less likely than their urban counterparts to be wearing a seatbelt in the wreck that killed them, at 52% vs. 49%.