Road safety and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist offer helpful tips for rural road driving.

Statistics show that country roads account for around 60% of all fatalities. This means that three of the five road deaths on an average day in the UK occur out of town.

Young novice drivers are particularly at risk according to the research.

Fun but focus

GEM chief executive Neil Worth commented: “Some of our most pleasant driving is done on country roads, but there are dangers.

“The turns and twists that make these roads so appealing also have a downside in terms of reduced visibility, and you will pick up few clues as to what’s around the next bend. Could it be another car or a motorcycle coming towards you at speed? Or a group of cyclists on a ride out? A flock of sheep or a herd of cattle crossing the road? A horse and rider? A wild animal? A slow-moving farm tractor?

“Until you have full sight of what’s ahead, you need to be ready to anticipate what could be there. By adjusting your speed and position accordingly, you’re doing your bit to keep yourself and the other road users safe,” he concluded.

GEM has prepared a selection of simple driver tips to help improve rural road safety.

Tips for safer driving on rural roads

  • Take it slow. Reduce risk by never exceeding the speed limit. Adjust your speed to be sure you can always stop safely in the distance available ahead of you.
  • Make sure you use any existing signage to help you. Usual signs include a series of white chevron signs on a black background, indicating a sharp bend. Use your detective skills, too! Make good use of any clues as to what may be ahead, even if you can’t see anything.
  • The narrowness of country lanes means that passing places are sometimes provided into embankments or verges. Be prepared to reverse into these if necessary.
  • Country lanes can often be in a poor state of repair. At any sign of this be ready for potholes and other broken surfaces that can seriously damage your vehicle. Road surfaces may also be slippery, with mud from tractor tyres and even deposits from horses and cows
  • If you come up behind cyclists, pedestrians or horses, keep back until you’re sure it’s safe to pass them. Remember the Highway Code rules, which require you to give plenty of room when passing cyclists (1.5 metres minimum) and horses (2 metres minimum).