Officials in Kansas are looking to bring attention to rural roadway safety and the fatalities that account for over half of the traffic deaths in the state.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly launched Rural Road Safety Week in partnership with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and the Drive to Zero Coalition. The campaign will be active from July 15-19.
“Raising awareness of rural road safety is critical to saving lives,” Kelly said. “This safety campaign emphasizes the importance of following the rules of the road to reduce risks for all drivers, occupants, and surrounding motorists, especially on rural roads.”
In 2023, KDOT statistics showed over 240 people died in rural road collisions, making up 63% of collision deaths. In urban areas, 143 people died in collisions.
Kansas has over 115,000 miles of rural roads making up 82% of public road miles, according to KDOT.
In 2019, Kansas was ninth in the nation for deadly rural crashes, averaging about 2.4 deaths according to a report from the National Transportation Research Group TRIP.
Gov. Kelly said the theme for the 2024 observance is “Life Between the Lines: Preventing Rural Roadway Departures.” The campaign aims for improved driving habits and avoiding departures on rural roadways.
“Improved driving behavior and avoiding rural roadway departures are keys to traffic safety. A roadway departure crash occurs after a vehicle crosses an edge line or a center line. Head-on collisions are possible when a vehicle enters an opposing line of traffic. Rollovers and impacts with trees, utility poles, or other objects are common when a vehicle crosses an edge line,” said Kelly in a press release.
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Source: KCTV5.com, KSNT Topeka
