Urbanites take heart: road safety better in cities
Believe it or not, but life in the city is safer than in the countryside, new research shows. A traffic accident study conducted by researchers from Technische Universität (TU) Dortmund in Germany suggests that city-dwellers who are thinking of moving to the country because they believe it's less dangerous should reconsider their options. It goes without saying that people, and especially parents, want to live in a safe environment. For example, people want to give children the chance to play outside without the worries of heavy traffic. But after evaluating accident statistics, Professor Christian Holz-Rau and Dr Joachim Scheiner from TU Dortmund's Department of Transport determined that despite the idea that living in the suburbs or countryside is less hazardous, the city comes out on top as being the safer option. Urbanites have less severe traffic accidents than rural inhabitants. 'The place of the accident alone does not allow for a conclusion to be drawn with regard to the population in this place being more or less endangered,' explained Professor Holz-Rau. 'One only has to think about commuters.' The study shows that suburban dwellers have a 40% higher chance of succumbing to fatal injuries compared with their city-dwelling peers during an accident. Traffic-related deaths in rural areas are also double or triple the rate of those in cities. For accidents resulting in severe injuries, the situation is similar for both areas. Latest data on accidents define someone who requires hospital treatment as 'severely injured'. Rural inhabitants have a 70% to 100% greater chance of suffering from such severe injuries than city dwellers. According to the researchers, urbanites have a higher risk of suffering from slight injuries than rural inhabitants. Dr Scheiner speculates that it's because of this number that people give cities a bad rap. Accidents with slight injuries happen many times, just as often as accidents with severe injuries or even fatalities. The study also finds that cities are safer for people of all ages. For example, the risk of a young child being fatally wounded in an accident is up to five times higher in rural areas than in cities. The researchers reveal that wild driving manoeuvres, such overtaking cars, and high speed on rural roads affect the driver and passengers alike. It's also interesting to note that while new drivers are risky, statistics show that young adults in rural areas are 10 to 20 times as likely to be involved in an accident compared with their city peers. 'In the countryside, many young adults turning 18 have a car and are covering relatively long distances. That inevitably increases the risk to have an accident,' Professor Holz-Rau said. 'And the fatal disco trips at night also take a terrible toll.' The TU Dortmund researcher pointed out that city dwellers usually choose to use public transportation, and not their cars, when a night of drinking is on the cards. Professor Holz-Rau and Dr Scheiner concluded that while the countryside appeals to many people, the city is the better choice for those concerned about road safety. 'This especially applies to families,' they said.
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