More teen collisions and fatalities happen on country roads than any other setting. Determining a safe speed is the most important decision when driving in this environment.
Scan for potential hazards when driving rural:
- Driveways, some hidden from view. Utility lines, mailboxes, and reflectors give clues to their location.
- Small and large animals. Search for deer in a continuous, orderly, and aggressive manner. Brake firmly, but do not swerve to avoid unless you know it is safe.
- Sharp curves. Inertia causes a vehicle driven into a curve to go in a straight line. Be sure to slow down to the advisory speed before the curve.
- When approaching loose gravel on the roadway, you should reduce speed before the gravel.
- Advisory speeds. The advisory speed for a curve is the fastest recommended speed under ideal conditions.
- A broken yellow line means that passing is allowed when it is safe.
- Passing. You may not pass if the solid yellow line is on your side of the broken line. A yellow pennant-shaped sign designates a no passing zone. Before deciding to pass, make sure it is legal and the left lane is clear of oncoming traffic.
- Narrow lanes, some with no shoulder. You may not pass a vehicle on the right unless it is making a left turn and you do not have to leave the paved lane to pass.
- When preparing to make a 3-point turnaround, you should pull to the right and stop.
- When passing, you should drive at least 10 mph faster than the other vehicle without exceeding the speed limit. You should not pass if you cannot complete the pass before a no-passing zone.
- While driving on open highways, search areas farther ahead than in the city.
A solid white line used to mark the outer edge of a road is called a "fog" line, because it helps guide you through dense fog. This line may not be crossed to pass on the right.
