1. Chapter 15
Driving in Rural Areas

2. What is a Rural Roadway?
Any roadway that has wide open spaces and less traffic are considered rural roadways.
Rural roadway collisions account for nearly 2x’s the amount of deaths than urban collisions.

3. Speed Major factor in rural driving collisions. Affects the following:
Line of Sight
Stopping Distance
Vehicle Control
Amount of Damage and Injury in a Collision
Line of sight – Faster you are going the less time you have to look at something. Line of sight restrictions will come up quicker as well.
Stopping Distance – Change in speed = square of the stopping distance (2x’s speed = 4x’s stopping dist.)
Vehicle Control – Easier to lose control at higher speeds with sudden movements of the wheel.
Amount of Damage – Force of impact increases with speed which increases the amount of damage and the severity of injuries.

4. Traffic Controls Signs, Signals, and Roadway Markings
Alert you to the following:
Hazards you can’t yet identify
Major intersections ahead
Unusual or hazardous conditions
Traffic channeled into reduced space
Signs, signals, and roadway markings direct, regulate, inform, and warn drivers.

5. Facts and Figures for Rural Roads
Vehicles leaving the road and hitting a fixed object account for 1/3 of all motor vehicle deaths.
Most of these involve a single vehicle.
Approximately 42% of all roadside deaths occur on curves.
About 1/3 of all roadside collisions involve vehicle rollovers and 1/3 involve occupant ejections.

6. Driving on Two Lane Roads
Things to consider:
Curves
Advisory Speed Limits
Hills
Intersections
Curves people tend to approach the curves at too high speed. When approaching a curve you should slow before the curve not while in the curve.
Advisory Speed Limits = these are suggested speeds when conditions are ideal for the curve. Natural forces try to push you out of the curve, meaning you car wants to continue to go straight.
Hills – restrict line of sight. As you approach hill move to the right side of your lane. This will help give you more time to react to oncoming traffic if they have crossed over the center line for some reason.
Intersections – Identify if intersection is controlled or uncontrolled. Identify other users, possible hazards, points of conflict, line of sight restrictions, and roadway conditions. Treat driveways as intersections. An intersection is anywhere when two roads meet/cross each other. A driveway is a private road, therefore where it meets a main road it is an intersection.

7. Following Distance
Rural settings that need increased following distances: (greater than 3 seconds)
Being tailgated
Downhill slope
Following motorcycles
Following snowplows
Pulling a trailer
Following a large vehicle (truck, RV, bus)
Wet/Icy road conditions
Keeping a 3 second following distance keeps your front zone open.

8. Multilane Rural Roads Entering a multilane road:
Check target area and front zones.
Enter nearest lane in your direction
Accelerate to the appropriate speed.
Remember a left turns requires a larger gap in traffic than a right turn. (the more lanes you cross the larger the gap you need)

9. Video Segment
The IPDE process in Rural Areas

10. Passing When deciding to pass consider:
No-passing Situations:
Uphill road
Intersections
Within 100’ of RR
On a 2 lane bridge.
Curves
Vehicle ahead traveling at speed limit
Line of sight is restricted
More than one vehicle ahead
When approaching a no-passing zone
When oncoming traffic is too close
When you will be turning or stopping soon
When deciding to pass consider:
Is it worth it to pass?
Is it legal to pass?
Is it safe to pass?
Remember passing does not give an exemption to the speed limit!!!

11. Slow Moving Vehicles
SMVs are identified by the orange triangle with red border
Video “In the Blink of an Eye” (might want to take notes b/c you may see some of this on a quiz)

12. Animals Anticipate more than one animal
Evaluate front zones for line of sight restrictions and other animals
Check rear zone to make sure if is safe for you to slow/stop quickly
Check left-front and right-front zones for escape route

13. Separating Hazards Adjust speed Meet where the most space is available
Change lane position to create more space

14. For Quiz Should be able to: Explain the features of a rural roadway
List what roadway markings and signs alert drivers to (4 things)
Define Advisory Speed Limit
Explain how to enter a multilane road
List 7 of the 11 No passing situations