The interstate is actually a safe place to drive

Small country roads or town streets probably feel pretty safe, especially to new drivers, with their lower speed limits. When they have to get on the interstate for the first time, many drivers feel very nervous and frightened. Some maintain this for the rest of their lives. The speed feels reckless and dangerous, and they imagine that this is where they face the greatest risks.

The problem is that the mind is taking a truth — speed is dangerous — and applying it unilaterally without any consideration of the other factors that come into play. In reality, driving on a freeway or an interstate is safer than driving on standard roads.

Why is this? It’s because of the design of the freeway, which does away with many things that cause crashes on other roads. Examples include:

• The highly dangerous left-hand turn
• Stop signs and red lights
• Grade crossings
• Opposing traffic

For instance, it’s clear that intersections are very dangerous places on the road, even with traffic controls. The reason is that traffic has to cross in front of other vehicles at an intersection. Every single time. That increases the odds of a crash because drivers can now make mistakes — running a red light, turning left without enough space, etc — that negate the safety provided by the traffic signals. On an interstate, these risks simply do not exist.

Of course, you can get injured in an accident on any type of road, and you need to know what options you have to seek compensation if you do