Country Roads Readiness Tips
The 2010 Country Roads campaign asks drivers to consider their speed when driving on country roads and understand that speed really matters on country roads. You don’t even have to be exceeding the posted limit to lose control.
Just because Scotland’s country roads are quieter than town roads, don’t assume they are safer. Country roads are unpredictable and, therefore, present far more challenges to drivers than they may think. The situation on such roads changes every day, so knowing a road like the back of your hand won’t stop you having an accident.
The following factors contribute to country road fatalities:
- Driver alertness/tiredness
- Familiarity of the road leading to complacency when driving on it
- External elements such as animals, other drivers and road/weather conditions
Remember, you don’t have to be speeding to be going too fast.
Facts and figures:
- 9 out of 10 Scottish drivers regularly drive on country roads.
- 3 out of 4 fatalities happen on country roads
- 2 out of 3 of those killed or seriously injured in country road incidents are the driver.
- 55% of those killed or seriously injured in country road incidents were travelling at an inappropriate speed for the conditions.
- 40% of crashes involve single vehicles.
- A higher proportion of accidents occur at the weekend (Fri to Sun)
- The 2 most common causes of fatal country road accidents are loss of control and inappropriate speed (travelling too fast for the conditions or exceeding the speed limit)
Country Roads Readiness Tips
- Drive sensibly on country roads, tailoring your speed to the conditions while bearing in mind that this should never exceed the posted speed limit.
- Ensure everyone in the car is wearing a seatbelt.
- Only overtake when you have a clear, long view of the road ahead. It takes longer than you think to pass a vehicle when traffic is coming the other way.
- Be aware of the state of the road you are driving on in relation to stopping distances – there is often a lot of mud and other debris making the roads very slippery – especially after rain showers.
- When approaching a bend reduce your speed and keep a road position that will give you maximum visibility of the road ahead. This will help reduce the risk of collision when meeting a car coming the other way.
- Vulnerable road users like cyclists and horse riders are very common on country roads so don’t drive too close to them and be aware of them around bends, give them plenty of room and only pass them when safe to do so.
- Slow vehicles like caravans and farm vehicles take up a lot of room on narrow country roads and should be given plenty of room.
- Be patient, don’t be up the bumper of the car in front of you and never overtake impulsively.
- Always look ahead for oncoming vehicles.
- Always be alert and aware of the unpredictability of Scotland’s country roads – you cannot be sure how the weather, nature, road conditions, slow moving vehicles and other drivers can affect driving conditions.
- Look out for animals on country roads, they can act unpredictably. In particular, watch out for animals on unfenced roads. If a road is blocked by a herd of animals, stop and switch off your engine until they have left the road. Don’t scare animals by sounding your horn, revving your engine or accelerating rapidly
