North Dakota's Road Ratings

In a University of Minnesota report released, North Dakota is listed as having the second highe...  More »

In a University of Minnesota report released, North Dakota is listed as having the second highest percentage of rural road fatalities. Of 123 road fatalities in the state in 2005, 111 happened on rural roads. It says, the high percentage is related to the amount of rural roads North Dakota has along with the length of time it could take for emergency services to get to you. (Dan Schaefer/Operations Director Metro Ambulance) That critical hour is huge. And so when you are taking 30 - 40 minutes just to get there and then a few minutes on scene and then another 30 minutes back into town; by the time they see that surgeon to get in there and stop that bleeding...it's too late. Drivers should always be alert when on the road, and even more so with the increased traffic for the holiday weekend. (Lt. Kelly Rodgers/ ND Highway Patrol) We need people to realize that even the rural areas we need to use our seatbelts and we need to leave the alcohol out of the vehicles those are the two primary messages and just remember that just because it's wide open spaces doesn't mean it's our own spaces, we have to share the road and drive safely. To help avoid a potentially dangerous situation fourth of July weekend or any time on the road, call ahead to your destination and give an approximate arrival time, do not drink and drive, and *always* wear your seatbelt.  « Less