60% of all fatalities occur on country roads. These roads often have sharp bends, blind bends and unexpected hazards so brake before the bend to give yourself time to react and stay in control.
The facts
- 60% of all fatalities occur on country roads
- Three people die each day on average on country roads
- The number of people killed on country roads is nearly 11 times higher than on motorways
- In 2013, there were 1,070 fatalities and 9,104 serious injuries on country roads
The law
You must not drive faster than the speed limit for the type of road and your type of vehicle. The speed limit is the absolute maximum and it doesn’t mean it’s safe to drive at this speed in all conditions.
THINK! Advice
The best drivers read the road ahead and anticipate potential hazards. Look out for upcoming bends, hidden dips, blind summits and concealed entrances.
Country roads often have sharp bends. To stay in control and give yourself time to react to unexpected hazards, brake before the bend, not in it.
Overgrown verges, bushes and trees on country roads can block your view and potentially obscure an oncoming hazard. Always drive at a speed which will allow you to stop in the distance you can see to be clear (double that on a single track road). Allow more time to stop on wet or slippy surfaces.
The speed limit is a limit not a target. The national speed limit on single carriage roads is 60mph, but there will be times you need to drive under that in order to drive correctly for the conditions. In fact most people do on these roads – the average free flow speed is 48mph.
If you get stuck behind a slow moving vehicle be patient. Dips in roads, bends and other junctions joining your road often hide oncoming vehicles, so unless it’s absolutely essential, don’t overtake.
If passing more vulnerable road users such as horse riders, cyclists and walkers, pass wide and slow.
Even if you’re familiar with a country road, never take it for granted as the conditions can be different every time.
