Wherever you drive in North Carolina, you run the risk of getting hit by a negligent driver and suffering significant injuries. But some parts of the Tar Heel State have a worse reputation for car accidents than others.
A recent study by Forbes ranked U.S. cities by several car crash-related statistics, including the number of fatal incidents and how likely an individual is to get into a wreck. While no North Carolina city made the top ten in the latter category, Charlotte came in 12th and Raleigh ranked 50th. In Charlotte, the “relative collision likelihood” was rated at 36 percent and researchers said there are 11.2 fatalities per 100,000 residents. Raleigh’s numbers were somewhat better, with a relative collision likelihood of 12.7 percent and 3.8 traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents. In fact, the Forbes study ranked Raleigh as the city with the lowest risk of an auto accident.
Not just a problem in major cities
Still, accidents do happen in those cities — and here in Wilson too. Life in a large U.S. city typically means a lot of cars, trucks and SUVs on the road, and thus more chances to get caught in the path of reckless driver, such as a drunk driver, speeder or someone who cannot maintain their lane. But these are not just big-city problems. A medium-sized city like Wilson has its share of dangerous motorists too.
A life-changing event
All it might take is a single crash to fundamentally change your life through pain and disability. Then you could be unable to earn an income to support yourself and your family. Your condition could impact your quality of life and force you to rely on relatives or professionals for help with ordinary tasks like cooking, cleaning and bathing.
