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     Two-lane Roads

RURAL HIGHWAYS

Swing off the main highway at nearly any exit, and you won't have to travel far to find yourself in rural Kansas. Driving Kansas rural roads safely can be challenging. And...you may be surprised by what and whom you meet along the way.

Rural Road Warnings

• It's important to watch for these conditions:
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• Edge of the road. If your tires drop off the edge of the pavement, the best thing to do is to slow down and turn your steering wheel slightly to the left to get back on the roadway.
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• Frequent curves, hills and poor sight lines.
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• Speed limits that change as these roads weave into and out of small towns.
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• Railroad crossings, some with no gates or flashing lights. Remember to stop, look and listen!
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• Fences, trees, power poles, culverts, ditches and embankments are all considered fixed objects that you could hit if you leave the roadway. The majority of crashes on two-lane rural roads involve drivers who, for one reason or another, leave the roadway and strike a fixed object. Make sure you are alert when driving and that you have full control of your vehicle at all times. By simply reaching over to pick something off the floor while driving, you can easily lose control of your vehicle.

On the Road

There may be moments when you feel like you're alone on rural roads. But, in fact, you're likely to encounter a number of roadway companions.

Slow-moving vehicles

It's not uncommon to see farm equipment, like tractors, on rural roads. You may even happen upon a horse-drawn buggy on occasion. On the backs of these vehicles, you'll usually see a slow-moving vehicle (SMV) emblem in the shape of a triangle. Vehicles, which travel at 25 miles per hour or less, must display this emblem.

By day, the bright, florescent range triangle is highly visible and can be spotted from a fifth of a mile away. At night, a reflective red border around the SMV emblem glows brightly when illuminated by an approaching vehicle's headlights. What a motorist sees is a hollow, red triangle, which immediately identifies a slow-moving vehicle.

Approach these vehicles with care...and patience. It can be a challenge to try to pass an SMV on a narrow, curvy rural road.

Four-footed animals

Wildlife roams Kansas fields and woodlands. It's not unusual to see the familiar form of a dog or cat who considers the roads part of their territory. You're just as likely to see raccoons, opossum, and skunk. But the animals you're most likely to encounter are deer.

Deer frequently pose a hazard in rural areas, accounting for almost 50 percent of crashes on these roads. If you do see a deer ahead-and you have adequate time-slow down and flash you headlights to scare it off. If you come upon a deer suddenly, or one leaps into your path, stay in your lane and decelerate carefully. Swerving to avoid deer can do more harm than good if you lose control of your vehicle in the process. Deer are a danger year round, but be especially alert in October, November and December, which is mating season.

Passing on Rural Roads

Rural roads are generally only two lanes wide, so use extra caution when passing other vehicles. Safe passing depends on cooperation between drivers, so do not speed up when someone is trying to pass you.

• If you're the one doing the passing, don't cut back in too soon. Quick movements at high speed can be fatal. A safe rule is to be sure you can see the other vehicle in your rear view mirror before you cut back in front of it. This is especially true when you pass large trucks. To pass safely, wait until you can see both truck headlights in your rear view mirror. (Not your side mirrors; they can distort distance.)
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• It is illegal to drive up onto the shoulder of a road to pass a vehicle on its right.
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• Rural roads ten to have more hills and curves, so be especially careful when you find yourself in these circumstances. Use patience and good judgment. Never pass when you have a solid yellow line on your side of the road. Use extreme caution even when you don't.
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• Obey the striping you see on the road...
• • Yellow lines:
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  • Single broken yellow line separates traffic moving in opposite directions.
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  • Single solid yellow line next to broken yellow line means passing is prohibited in one direction.
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  • Double solid yellow line means passing is prohibited in both directions. The only time a driver is permitted to cross a double yellow line is when turning left into a driveway or entrance to a business.
    Also obey any signing that indicates passing should not be done, (like the NO PASSING ZONE sign).
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  • White lines:
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  • Single broken white line separates lanes of traffic moving in the same direction, such as on a divided highway or one-way street.

Rural Roads and...

Speed

Posted speed limits change frequently because of the large number of towns through which rural roads travel. Speed limits on rural, state-maintained highways are based on lane widths, shoulder width and type, average daily traffic and the number of sight restrictions. These factors influence the speeds that drivers feel are safe and reasonable on these roads. Speed limits are established according to how fast the majority of drivers (approximately 85 percent) are driving along a certain stretch of road.

According to national statistics, speeding is a contributing factor in 30 percent of all fatal crashes. A whopping 8 6 percent of those speeding-related fatalities were on roads other than Interstate highways. When driving rural roads, obey posted speed limits.

Seat Belts and Child Car Seats

A recent national study reported that only about 53 percent of those who live in rural areas use their seat belts, and 16- to 24-year-olds use the restraints the least. Seat belts are the single most effective safety measure you can take when traveling in a vehicle. They are 45 percent effective in preventing fatalities in front seat passengers. When it comes to young children, child safety seats are 71 percent effective in reducing fatalities in children under 5. These are important statistics when you realize that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people ages 6 through 27.

Headlights

Headlights should be on from sunset to sunrise. Driving at night poses special risks. For starters, you can't see nearly as far at night as you can during the day. So be careful not to "overdrive" your headlights/ Here are a few things to remember:

• When driving in the country, use bright lights only when there are no other vehicles nearby.
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• Always use low beams when approaching other vehicles so as not to blind the driver. Also use low beams when driving in rain, fog, and when following another vehicle closely.
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• Avoid looking directly into the headlights of on-coming vehicles as you can become temporarily "blinded" by their brightness. Instead, look at the right-hand edge of the road.

Intersections

An intersection is any area where two vehicles can cross each other's path. On rural roads, an intersection can occur not only at the expected one-mile intervals where rural Kansas roads generally follow agricultural section boundaries, but also at any driveway or road leading into a pasture or field. Motorists should be especially careful when approaching a rural intersection. The National Safety Council tells us that nearly 43 percent of all fatalities occur at intersections when drivers fail to yield the right of way, pass a stop sign, or disregard a signal. If you are stopped at an intersection and are about to cross or turn onto the main roadway, take an extra few seconds to make sure you have enough time. A vehicle traveling at 55 mph can travel 400 feet in only five seconds, so those extra few seconds of caution can keep you or someone else from getting injured in a crash.

Adverse weather

During a heavy rain, water can collect on rural roads quickly, and flooding from nearby creeks near the roadway can occur in a flash. So if you're driving rural roads during a rainstorm or other adverse weather conditions, follow these safety tips:

• Get an early start, allowing enough time to reach your destination.
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• Slow down - During inclement weather, drive slowly, especially through puddles. Hitting several inches of water at high speed can cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle. It can also splash water into the engine and cause it to stall. Driving on a thin layer of water can cause your vehicle to "hydroplane" at high speeds, which can take away your ability to steer or brake your vehicle.
• • What to look for...
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  • Reflections visible in water accumulated on pavement
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  • "Loose" feeling in the steering wheel
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  • Rain drop dimples appearing in the road
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  • What to do...
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  • Steer smoothly without jerking
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  • Keep tires inflated to maximum recommended pressure
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  • Drive in the tire prints of the vehicle ahead, where the water has already been displaced
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  • Keep your distance—A car needs two-to-three times more stopping distance on wet pavement, so allow extra following distance between cars. If the car skids, do not slam on the brakes. Instead apple the brakes with a steady, light but firm pressure. Remember to steer in the direction the car is sliding. In cars equipped with anti-lock brakes, apply heavy steady pressure, but do not pump the brakes.
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  • Use headlights and windshield defroster—Rain, fog, sleet and snow mean reduced visibility. Turn on your headlights so you can see and be seen. Turn on the defroster to help keep the inside of your windshield free of moisture.
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  • Wiper blades—Make sure your windshield wiper blades are in good condition. Streaks or skipping on your windshield are signs of worn blades. Also check your washer solvent reservoir frequently and keep it full.

Alcohol

Alcohol packs a triple whammy: Drivers who have been drinking are less likely to use their seat belts and more likely to speed. Add the effects of alcohol on judgment and reaction time, and you have a lethal combination. Alcohol was involved in 16 percent of Kansas traffic fatalities in 2000.

Hill-Jumping

Though reputed to be flat, Kansas has its share of hilly terrain. For some people, particularly teenagers, hills equals thrills. Driving hills at high speeds in an effort to go "air-borne" (hill-humping) has cost dozens of Kansans their lives. Most didn't realize that as they became air-borne, all their tires did not leave the road at the same time. That phenomenon typically headed their vehicle toward a ditch, fence, tree, or whatever object was at the side of the road. Remember, when your vehicle is in the air, you cannot steer. So be smart. Don't participate in these dangerous behaviors.

And remember...on any road, under any condition, you're always safest when you wear your seat belt.