Driving in Rural Areas

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Driving in Rural Areas

• Ch 10

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Characteristics of Rural Traffic

• Roadways
• Concrete, brick, asphalt, gravel, dirt.
• Wide, narrow
• Traction may vary
• Speed affects
• How far ahead must you look
• Stopping distance
• Vehicle control
• Damage, injury, and survival rate

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Characteristics continued

• Traffic Controls
• signs, signals and roadway markings
• Location of hazards you cannot see
• Areas of high speed cross traffic
• Sharp curves
• Reduced speed
• Stop ahead

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Characteristics continued

• Roadside Hazards
• Signs on the road shoulder may block the shoulder
  use
• Guardrails
• Bridges
• Trees
• Fences

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IPDE process

• Identify
• Predict
• Decide
• Execute

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Visual Search Pattern

• Helps you adjust to any unusual events in rural
  areas.
• Look far ahead as well as the sides of the road
• Check for safety features shoulders,
  ditches,traffic controls.
• Roadway surface
• Glance in rearview mirrors
• Check speed and warning lights on your dash
• After your checks(glance) return your eyes to the
  roadway

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Driving on two-lane roads

• Curves
• Warning sign with advisory speed sign under the
  sign.
• 5 steps to approaching a curve
• Quick glances across the curve to identify
  oncoming traffic.
• Maintain proper lane position
• Identify the advisory speed sign.
• After entering curve, accelerate gently
• Resume a safe speed once out.

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Hills (Rural)

• Uphill is a no passing zone on a hill.
• Site distance or how far you can look ahead
  becomes shorter.
• If you cannot see far enough ahead to pass
  safely, do not pass.
• Keep to the right side of the road if there is no
  markings on the road.(gravel)

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Intersections (Rural)

• Traffic signals will control busy intersections.
• Identify signals early
• Predict what color the signal will be when you
  get to the intersection.
• Trees, bushes,and crops can obscure the view a
  the intersection.

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Following Traffic

• Always use the 2 second rule
• Used on high speed roadways
• Use 3 or 4 seconds for special situations
• Being tailgated
• On a steep downhill
• Following a motorcycle
• Pulling a trailer
• Following a truck or bus
• On wet pavement

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Driving on Multilane Roads

• Multilane Road ways with Center lines
• Double solid yellow line
• Never cross except to turn left.
• Divided Roadways
• Separated by a median or guardrail
• Lane Choice
• Whenever possible, drive on the right-hand lane.
• Left hand lane is for passing or turning left.

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Multilane roads continued

• Turning at an intersection
• Turn right from the right lane
• Turn left from the left lane
• Always signal ahead of time
• Keep you wheels straight while waiting in the
  intersection.
• If you were to get hit from behind you will not
  head into oncoming traffic.
• If you check your mirror and do see a car
  approaching from behind at a high speed,
  accelerate through the intersection.

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Entering a multilane

• Right turn
• Look for a 6 second gap
• Enter the nearest lane that is going in your
  direction
• Accelerate promptly to the prevailing speed
• Left turn
• Cross the lanes on the near side of the roadway
• Choose a time when no car is approaching in the
  near lane across the center lane.
• Turn into the near lane
• Accelerate promptly

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Passing

• Deciding to pass
• Is passing legal
• Is passing safe
• Is passing worthwhile

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Preparing to pass

• Realize you are rapidly closing the distance on
  a car ahead.
• Check roadway signs ahead
• Determine whether there are other reasons why you
  should not pass.
• Check traction conditions ahead
• Look ahead of the car you intend to pass
• Check the roadway shoulder ahead

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Preparing to pass continued

• Check rearview mirrors
• Glance over your left shoulder blind spot
• Check oncoming traffic lane for plenty of space
  to pass
• IF you are uncertain, do not pass!!!
• Check driveways and intersections ahead

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Executing a Pass

• Signal for a lane change, check blind spot
• Change lanes smoothly
• Cancel the signal
• Pass at a speed 10mph faster than the car you are
  passing. Legal mph
• Maintain speed until you can see both headlights
  of the car you have just passed in you rearview
  mirror.
• Signal for a lane change and return to your lane
• Cancel the signal and adjust your speed

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No Passing Situations

• Solid yellow lines
• Sight distance is limited
• Space is narrow
• Cross traffic is a hazard
• No passing Uphill
• No passing at intersections
• No passing at railroad crossings
• No passing on bridges
• No passing on curves

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No Passing
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Other no passing situations

• The car ahead is traveling at or near the speed
  limit
• Sight is limited by rain, snow, fog
• Roadway is slick
• Several vehicles are ahead of you
• You cannot complete the pass before the no
  passing zone begins
• Oncoming traffic is to close
• You will stop or turn soon

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Passing on multilane roads

• Check all lanes going in your direction before
  you pass.
• Look for turn signals, fast moving vehicles
• All passing should be done in the left lane

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Being passed

• If the passing car is having difficulty passing
  you you may help them.
• Slowdown, speedup.
• Mostly maintain speed limit as another car passes
  you.

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Special Rural Environments

• Mountains
• Up hill
• Down hill
• Weather
• Altitude
• Desert
• Effects on drivers
• Sandstorms
• Floods

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Chapter 10 Decision Making