Chapter 15: Driving in Rural Areas

1
Chapter 15 Driving in Rural Areas

• Start working on the 7 Questions on
• Page 317 Turn in your Study Hall Form!

2
Chapter 15 Driving in Rural Areas

• Objectives
• Characteristics of Rural Traffic
• Using Basic Skills in Rural Areas
• Passing Being Passed on Rural Roads
• Rural Situations You Might Encounter
• Special Driving Environments

3
Roadways

• Have different characteristics
• Paved, gravel, dirt
• Wide, narrow
• Smooth, rough
• Inadequate lighting, Very Dark at night

4
(No Transcript)
5
Speed

• Affects line of sight, stopping distance, vehicle
  control, amount of damage injury
• Many speed limits are 55 mph or lower
• Posted speed limits are for ideal conditions

6
(No Transcript)
7
(No Transcript)
8
Factors that affect speed selection are

• Other highway users
• Inclement weather
• Hills
• Curves
• Intersections
• Narrow roads
• Animals ( Deer, Cows Etc.)

9
Other highway users
10
Inclement Weather
11
Hills and Road Surface
12
Curves
13
Intersections
14
Narrow Roads
15
Traffic Controls

• Warn drivers of
• Hazards that you cannot yet identify
• Major intersections ahead
• Unusual or hazardous conditions
• Traffic channeled into reduced space

16
Roadside Hazards

• Older, narrow, less traveled rural roads present
  hazards
• Shoulders may be uneven, soft, or narrow
• Bridges, guardrails, bushes, trees, sign posts,
  or steep slopes may be near roads edge
• Entrances to businesses, homes, or fields can be
  a possible conflict
• Trees, shrubs, or piles of plowed or drifted snow
  create line-of-sight restrictions

17
(No Transcript)
18
Visual Search Pattern
19
Visual Search Pattern
20
Maintain a 3 Second Following Distance

• Longer following distances give you more control
  when you are
• Being tailgated
• Driving on a steep downhill slope
• Following a motorcycle
• Following a snowplow
• Pulling a loaded trailer
• Following a large vehicle
• Driving on wet or icy roads

21
(No Transcript)
22
Passing on Rural Roads
23
Rural Driving Review Questions

• Are more roads in the U.S. rural or urban? Why
  are rural roads more dangerous at night?
• What can you do to avoid hitting a deer?
• How do you apply IPDE to rural driving?
• When should you increase your following distance
  to more than 3 seconds?