Car accidents in Alabama often occur on certain types of roads, according to a recent nationwide study focused on determining which roads are the most dangerous in each state.
Compared to other states, county roads in Alabama are among the top 10 most dangerous roads. However, they're not the single most dangerous type of road in Alabama. That honor goes to state highways.
County roads in Alabama are among the most dangerous in the nation
The website MoneyGeek recently conducted a traffic safety study focused on determining which types of roads are the most dangerous in each state. The study compared the car accident fatality rate for five different types of roads in each state based on accident data from 2019 to 2021 collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
During that period, 26.3 percent of the state's traffic fatalities occurred in Alabama on county roads, which researchers defined as roads maintained by a town or municipality. Those numbers resulted in Alabama county roads being ranked the 8th deadliest of any state in the country.
Accidents on Alabama state highways are also common
While county roads resulted in Alabama being ranked in the top 10 nationwide in that category, they were not the most dangerous type of road in the state. That title went to Alabama state highways, which are high-speed roads maintained by the state.
Between 2019 and 2021, a total of 27.2 percent of Alabama's car accident fatalities occurred on state highways, making them the most dangerous type of road in the state during that period.
How common are car accidents on other types of roads?
Along with county roads and state highways, the accident rate on the three other types of roads in Alabama was as follows:
- S. highway (high-speed highways maintained by the federal government) – 18.5 percent of car accident deaths in Alabama.
- Local streets (roads with a speed limit of 20 to 45 mph) – 14.4 percent.
- Interstate highways (highways that connect state-to-state traffic) – 13.7 percent.
Fatal crash statistics in Alabama
If car accidents seem to be becoming more common in Alabama, it's not your imagination. In the past decade, the number of car accident fatalities in the state has steadily climbed higher nearly every year.
Between 2012 and 2022, car accident deaths increased by 14.3 percent, from 865 deaths in 2012 to 989 deaths in 2022, according to car accident fatality data collected by the NHTSA and the Alabama Department of Transportation.
Crash victims have legal rights
You might think you don't need a lawyer to recover compensation for your losses if another driver caused your accident. Unfortunately, claims involving car accidents often turn into complicated legal cases. Sometimes, the at-fault driver's insurance company does everything possible to reduce or deny a claim. Other times, the at-fault driver tries to blame the victim for what happened.
Fortunately, our car accident lawyers at Dean Waite & Associates, LLC know how to handle complex legal cases from start to finish. When you have our legal team on your side, you can focus on healing while we fight to recover every dollar you deserve. We know how to build strong, effective legal cases designed to win.
Put your trust in a law firm that puts your needs first. Contact us and schedule a free case evaluation with a car accident attorney focused on winning your case. Our office is located in Mobile, AL, and we handle injury claims throughout the state. Don't hesitate...call Dean Waite!