Today In Mississippi

Nation's country roads
are the most dangerous

By Michael Callahan
Electric Power Associations of Mississippi Executive Vice President/CEO

Those long and winding roads that snake throughout rural America may be scenic, but they’re also the most deadly byways in the country.

More than half (52 percent) of the traffic fatalities in the nation between 1999 and 2003 occurred on rural, non-Interstate roads and highways, even though vehicle travel on these roads only accounted for 28 percent of travel during that period, according to TRIP, a national nonprofit transportation research group.

Rural roads are more likely than urban roads to have two lanes and to have poor roadway design, including narrow lanes, limited shoulders, sharp curves, exposed hazards and pavement drop-offs. Sound like a road near you?

But let’s not lay all the blame on the roads. Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes, according to a 2005 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Most head-on crashes on rural roads, excluding Interstate highways, are likely caused by a motorist making an unintentional maneuver as a result of driver fatigue, being distracted or driving too fast in a curve, TRIP reports.

Daylight-Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Nov. 4. Within a few weeks, drivers will be heading home for work in the dark. Poor visibility while driving in heavy traffic at night on roadways with poor (or nonexistent) lighting will present motorists with yet another safety hazard.

Unlighted rural roads can be especially dangerous for our utility crews. Their work day usually ends by 5 p.m. on weekdays. But they are subject to be called out to work at any time of day or night, seven days a week, to respond to power outages.

Round a corner on a dark rural road and, if you are speeding, you may suddenly come up on a crew repairing a damaged line or pole and have too little time to react.

Our crews are well versed in safety procedures to protect themselves and the public at their job sites. They follow strict safety guidelines and use equipment designed to improve their visibility to drivers as they work. At night, motorists approaching one of our crews are alerted by flashing lights on utility vehicles, reflective warning signs and reflective orange cones on the road. Workers also may wear a green vest with reflective tape.

But even the best safety gear and precautions can’t protect workers—whether utility or road construction crews—from the speeding or inattentive driver. Unfortunately, the national death toll is rising in highway work zones. In 2005, the most recent year for which the NHTSA has statistics, there were 1,074 fatalities in work zones, up from 1,063 deaths in 2004.

So, for our crews’ safety and your own, please slow down, remain alert and stay off the cell phone while driving. Help us make the upcoming holiday season safer for everyone.

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Electric Power Associations of Mississippi
P.O. Box 3300 Ridgeland, Mississippi 39158-3300 phone 601.605.8600 fax 601.605.8601