Mapping U.S. road fatality hot spots

Photo by minds-eye

As you head out this weekend for a road trip, it probably wouldn't hurt to be aware of problem roads you might encounter that have high instances of road fatalities. Being cautious never hurt anyone.

The University of Minnesota's Center for Excellence in Rural Safety has updated their Safe Road Maps online site after launching it last year. The site uses Google Maps imaging to show visitors where all road fatalities have occurred in the last five years.

Users can search by state, city, zip code and street to see locations of road fatalities. Each dot on the map gives more details on the accident and what factors were involved. The program pulls up an image of the intersection too.

The program also features the top rural and urban hot zones for fatalities in the country.

How safe is your weekend getaway route? Check out the road maps here.