Driving in Rural Areas | Steer Clear

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(Words on screen) 
Driving in Rural Areas

(Image)
Animated illustration: side view, car driving 
on road past wood fence, red barn, silo

(Speaker: Male announcer)
In rural areas, you'll have the potential for 
special challenges. For example, you may have 
to suddenly brake or reduce your speed 

(Image)
Animated illustration: cow appears on road 
in front of car, cow moos, car stops

(Speaker: Male announcer)
when you encounter livestock or other animals. 

(Image)
Animated illustration: Car passes tractor on road

(Speaker: Male announcer)
Or you may come across a slow-moving vehicle, 
such as a farm vehicle or horse carriage. Situations 
such as these are why speed management is so
important on country roads. 

(Image)
Animated illustration: rear view, car driving up
hill approaches red barn and silo on left
around curve and across a bridge with a sign
“Narrow Bridge”

(Speaker: Male announcer)
Another reason you'll have to manage your speed 
closely is because the terrain is challenging, with its 
blind curves, steep hills, and narrow bridges. 

(Image)
Animated illustration: fog surrounds car still
driving down road,

(Speaker: Male announcer)
And these unpredictable roads can get more 
dangerous in wet or foggy conditions. 

(Image)
Animated illustration: car passes 45 mph speed
limit sign

(Speaker: Male announcer)
So it's best to never exceed posted speeds, and to 
slow down when conditions are bad or visibility 
is reduced. 

(Image)
Animated illustration: side view, car drives past wood
fence onto bumpy gravel road

(Speaker: Male announcer)
Something else to consider is that different types 
of road materials may affect your driving. Gravel 
roads present their own special road safety 
challenges. The issue is traction. Driving on loose 
gravel is harder than driving on pavement, 
because your tires don't have the traction 
needed to give you stable control. 

(Image)
Animated illustration: car loses control and skids off
screen

(Speaker: Male announcer)
Throw speed into the mix and you have a formula 
for trouble. 

(Image)
Animated illustration: dump truck dumps gravel onto 
road, large raindrops sprinkle on truck, pickup truck
passes car in the other lane

(Speaker: Male announcer)
Construction materials, weather, traffic volumes, 
and vehicle weight can change a gravel road's 
condition very quickly. 

(Image)
Animated illustration: car driving down gravel
road, yellow yield triangle with exclamation
point appears above car, we hear warning
beeper

(Speaker: Male announcer)
That's why it's so important to approach a gravel 
road with caution each time you encounter one. 

(Image)
Animated illustration: car drives down road,
over hill, past bicycle

(Speaker: Male announcer)
It's a good idea to give yourself a wider space 
cushion on country roads because you never 
know what's beyond the next bend. It could be 
a fallen branch or bicyclist. 

(Image)
Animated illustration: car drives down road, 
yellow yield triangle with exclamation
point appears above car, bracketed line appears
blank space in front of car to show no car in front
of it, car passes sign with deer on it, then a deer
standing on the side of the road

(Speaker: Male announcer)
Since wildlife is more active at dawn and dusk, 
increase your space cushion even more at these 
times. Stay alert and read the road signs ahead so 
you'll be ready for whatever surprise may appear 
in your path. 

(Image)
Animated illustration: view from car windshield, 
Another car is in front of it. A yellow yield triangle
appears above it. A deer is on the right. 

(Speaker: Male announcer)
Remember to never swerve to miss an 
animal, because your vehicle could flip over or hit 
another vehicle.

(Image)
Animated illustration: View from car driver’s seat:
deer in the road in front of the car. Foot on brake
pedal appears over deer, foot pumps brake

(Speaker: Male announcer)
If you see an animal in your path, firmly grip the 
steering wheel and apply consistent, heavy braking 
to come to a stop in a straight line. 

(Image)
Animated illustration: view from driver’s seat
with headlights shining on road. Streetlights appear,
then disappear one by one

(Speaker: Male announcer)
Country roads generally have no streetlights, so 
visibility will be further reduced. 

(Image)
Animated illustration: accelerator and brake pedal 
Appear through windshield above road. Shoe moves 
From brake to accelerator

(Speaker: Male announcer)
Ease up on the gas and use the brake to control your 
speed as you go down hills and around tight curves. 

(Image)
Animated illustration: view through windshield, red
barn and silo visible on right. ‘Thought bubble’ appears
With tractor, then dump truck, then deer inside it. Car
continues down road.

(Speaker: Male announcer)
Think about what you would do if you were to approach 
a slow-moving tractor just around the bend, or a large 
truck blocking your view ahead, or a deer suddenly 
leaping onto the road. In case you do encounter these 
someday, walking through exactly what you'd do in 
these situations will make you feel more in control. 


(Image)
Animated illustration: side view – car drives down 
road past wood fence, past 45 mph speed limit sign. 
Raindrops begin to fall. A cow appears on the road. A 
yellow yield triangle with exclamation point appears 
above the car. The cow moos.

(Speaker: Male announcer)
You'll know you have grasped the speed management 
that's required on rural roads when you never exceed 
the posted speed limits, adjust your speed to road 
conditions, look out for animals and other 
obstructions, and use caution when road conditions 
are poor. 

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