North Carolina’s rural roads are some of the most unsafe in the nation, according to a recent study.

TRIP, a national transportation research group, revealed in its rural road study earlier this week that North Carolina ranks eighth in the nation in rural road fatalities. AAA spokesperson Tiffany Wright spoke on the matter.

“North Carolinians who drive, who live and travel on rural roads, they deserve a transportation system that’s safe, efficient and reliable,” says Wright.

Wright claims that simple updates in safety features like updated guard rails and wider shoulders could vastly improve driving conditions on rural North Carolina roads.

“These safety measures can help prevent some of the tiniest mistakes from turning into big mistakes, with deadly consequences,” says Wright.

Despite the high ranking, North Carolinians may be able to expect improvements in driving conditions in the future due to the Strategic Transportation Investments Program which was created in 2013.

“North Carolina has recently been investing more attention and funds than ever into fixing and repairing its roads and bridges, says Wright. “Hopefully, we will continue to see improvements which can make our roads safer for everyone.”

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