1. Chapter 15: Driving in Rural Areas
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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

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

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 road’s 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

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

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?