Chapter 11 - Rural Highway Driving
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Transcript Chapter 11 - Rural Highway Driving
Highway & Rural Driving
CHAPTER 11
11-1 THE RURAL DRIVING ENVIRONMENT
Highway
A
main public roadway designed to carry traffic for
long, uninterrupted periods at medium to high
speeds
Can have intersections with cross traffic, side
roads, driveways, etc.
11-1 THE RURAL DRIVING ENVIRONMENT
Typical highways is a two-way, twolane road separated by double
yellow lines
Major rural highways, including
interstates, have four or more
lanes.
Divided Highway
Opposing directions of travel are
separated by a fixed barrier or area
of space called a median strip
Areas can be paved, dirt, or landscaped
11-1 THE RURAL DRIVING ENVIRONMENT
Rural Roads
Old, narrow, and originally designed for slower speeds
Paved with various materials
Concrete,
asphalt, macadam, cobblestone or brick
Traction varies with weather conditions
May be grooved or rutted
Potholes and other damaged sections left unrepaired
for long periods of time
Patched
quickly with asphalt
Not cleaned regularly
Debris
can be left on the road for
11-1 THE RURAL DRIVING ENVIRONMENT
Rural Intersections
T-Intersections
Side
roads join a main road with through traffic at a right
angle
Common and dangerous
Difficult to see vehicles enter from the side roads
Y-Intersections
Often
the site of junctions of minor and major roads
Can be confusing for beginning drivers
Either fail to stop or stop when they are not supposed to
11-1 THE RURAL DRIVING ENVIRONMENT
Unmarked Driveways
Driveways to farms or fields
Can
be hidden by bushes, crops, or trees
Look for mailboxes, gates, openings in fences,
Reduce speed and be prepared for vehicles to pull out in front
of you
Entry/Exit Problems
When entering:
Wait
for larger gaps in traffic before you pull out
When exiting:
Make
sure you slow down earlier than usual
11-1 THE RURAL DRIVING ENVIRONMENT
Crossover
Special
area where vehicles can turn around and go
in the opposite direction
Unpaved crossovers are usually restricted to lawenforcement and emergency vehicles
11-2 DEFENSIVE DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS
Reduced visibility
Vision is more limited than on city streets
Examples?
Because of this, signs are posted further in advance
Make sure to look off-road as well as in front of you
Increase your following distance
At highway speeds greater than 50 mph, you need 6
seconds to stop or avoid an accident
Utilize “covering the brake”
11-2 DEFENSIVE DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS
Highway Passing
Multilane roads – stay in the right lane unless you are
passing another vehicle or preparing to turn
Two-lane Highway – do not cross the center line unless
you can see far enough ahead to know whether you can
pass safely
Don’t pass on hills or curves – pass on straight sections
of the road
Multi-Lane - Always pass on the left unless the vehicle
you are wanting to pass is turning left or not keeping
with the flow of traffic, then you can pass on the right
11-3 OTHER DANGERS OF HIGHWAY & RURAL
DRIVING
Velocitation
Highway Hypnosis
Driving much faster than intended
Becoming hypnotized by the road
Feel like you just awakened from
a dream with no recollection of
the last few seconds
To prevent both:
Drive when mentally fresh
Stop frequently and break trips up
11-3 OTHER DANGERS OF HIGHWAY & RURAL
DRIVING
Slow-Moving Vehicles
“wide-load” vehicles
Construction zones
Farm equipment
Dangers:
Not designed for high speed travel
Difficult to pass
Reduce speed and don’t attempt to
pass unless you can see clearly the
road ahead
11-3 OTHER DANGERS OF HIGHWAY & RURAL
DRIVING
Off-Road Vehicles
Less
stable than cars and provide little protection to
operators in a collision with a motor vehicle
Livestock Crossing Areas
Horse-Drawn Vehicles and Riders
Wild Animals