TOPEKA - According to the Kansas Department of Transportation statistics, 242 people lost their lives in rural road crashes across the state compared to 143 urban traffic fatalities last year. This accounts for 63% of 2023 crash deaths statewide. Rural roads account for more than 115,000 miles of Kansas’ nearly 139,000 public road miles. 

To bring attention to the matter, Governor Laura Kelly announced today the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Drive To Zero Coalition are launching the annual Rural Road Safety Awareness Week. The campaign will take place July 15-19. 

“Raising awareness of rural road safety is critical to saving lives,” Governor Laura 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.”  

The weeklong observance is part of a nationwide campaign spearheaded by the National Center for Rural Road Safety. The theme for this safety week is “Life Between the Lines: Preventing Rural Roadway Departures.”  

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. 

For more information, visit the National Center for Rural Road Safety website at https://ruralsafetycenter.org.