Rural roads — Kansas Permit Test

Kansas vehicles do not have as much traction on gravel or dirt roads as on concrete or asphalt, so a driver must reduce speed and increase following distance because it will take much longer to stop.

Loose surface behaves like a thin layer of ball bearings. Everything takes longer and grips less.

When driving on gravel or dirt, you must reduce your speed and increase your following distance, since it will take much longer to stop due to loss of traction.

During dry periods of the year Kansas gravel roads can become extremely dusty and vision can be reduced, so it is recommended to use low beam headlights, slow down and increase following distance.

The dust cloud behind another vehicle is a wall you cannot see through. Your lights are how they find you in it.

It is recommended that you use low beam headlights to make your vehicle more visible to others, slow down and increase your following distance.

Kansas gravel or dirt roads can be narrow with little to no shoulder and ditches close to the road, very steep and dangerous, and may have sharp dips or unexpected turns.

There is nowhere to go if you run wide. The ditch is often right at the edge of the surface.

Ditches can be close to the road, very steep and dangerous.

A Kansas driver should reduce speed on open bridge gratings or steel bridges, as traction for braking and steering is reduced, keeping a firm grip on the steering wheel and increasing following distance.

A steel deck can feel like the car is wandering. A firm grip stops you overcorrecting it.

Reduce speed as traction for braking and steering is reduced.

Before reaching the crest of a Kansas hill or entering a curve on a rural road a driver slows down, moves to the right side of the road and watches for oncoming vehicles.

Rural crests and bends are sharper than highway ones. Moving right is what buys room for whatever is coming.

Before reaching the crest of a hill or before entering a curve, slow down, move to the right side of the road and watch for oncoming vehicles.

Many Kansas rural highway-railroad grade crossings are marked only with a warning sign and a crossbuck and typically do not have lights or crossing gates, so a driver should always slow down, look both ways and be prepared to stop.

No lights does not mean no trains. The whole warning is the sign and your own eyes.

typically do not have lights or crossing gates; therefore, you should always slow down, look both ways and be prepared to stop for a train before crossing the tracks.

Some Kansas rural intersections are not controlled by yield or stop signs, and when approaching an uncontrolled rural intersection a driver slows down and is prepared to stop for crossing or oncoming traffic.

Nothing tells either driver who goes first. Both have to arrive ready to stop.

When approaching an uncontrolled rural intersection slow down and be prepared to stop for crossing or oncoming traffic.

Blind corners created by Kansas wooded areas, corn fields or other tall crops can create vision limitations.

A field of standing corn hides a whole intersection. The crop is the sight line problem in rural Kansas.

Blind corners created by wooded areas, corn fields or other tall crops can create vision limitations.

What does Kansas say about driving on gravel or dirt roads?

Reduce speed and increase following distance. Loose surface behaves like a thin layer of ball bearings. Everything takes longer and grips less. Kansas Driving Handbook, p.90: “When driving on gravel or dirt, you must reduce your speed and increase your following distance, since it will take much longer to stop due to loss of traction.”