Rural driving — Colorado Permit Test

Rural highways are the most dangerous roads and have the highest fatality rate per mile driven of any roads in the United States.

They feel quiet, which is what makes them dangerous. Speeds are high, help is far away and the hazards arrive without warning.

Rural highways are the most dangerous roads and have the highest fatality rate per mile driven of any roads in the U.S.

Rural roads can have a lot of sharp curves, blind curves, steep hills and dips, and some of their signs might be hidden by trees or bushes.

The warning you were relying on may be behind a branch. That is why the road itself has to be read rather than the signs alone.

Rural roads may not have adequate guide signs, and some of the signs might be hidden by trees or bushes

Many rural roads have no shoulders.

With no shoulder there is nowhere to go if something goes wrong, and no guard rail means the drop is right there.

Many rural roads have no shoulders

Rural road pavements are usually rough and may need maintenance, and in some areas the roads are unpaved dirt or gravel, giving less traction.

Gravel behaves like ball bearings under a braking tire. The car takes longer to stop and steers less than it did a mile ago.

In some areas, the rural roads are unpaved (dirt or gravel) resulting in less traction

Washboarding is a series of potholes found on gravel roads that can affect steering and vehicle control.

The ripples bounce the tires clear of the surface in turn, so for part of every second the car is steering on nothing.

Washboarding, which is a series of potholes that can affect steering and vehicle control

Many bicyclist fatalities happen on rural roads because of higher speeds, so watch for bicyclists riding on the shoulder or in the travel lane where there is no shoulder.

At 60 mph a driver arrives at a rider far sooner than at 30, and there is often nowhere for either of them to move to.

Many bicyclist fatalities happen on rural roads due to higher speeds

Slower speeds and more than the required three feet of passing distance are advised when passing bicyclists on rural roads, because of dangerous wind blasts.

At speed a car pushes a wall of air ahead of it and drags a hole behind it. Both can take a rider off their line.

Slower speeds and more than the required three feet of passing distance are also advised when passing bicyclists on rural roads due to dangerous wind blasts that can cause vehicles to hit bicyclists

Which roads have the highest fatality rate per mile in the United States?

Rural highways. They feel quiet, which is what makes them dangerous. Speeds are high, help is far away and the hazards arrive without warning. Colorado Driver Handbook, p.17: “Rural highways are the most dangerous roads and have the highest fatality rate per mile driven of any roads in the U.S.”