As the national Rural Road Safety Awareness Week takes place July 13-17, the Nevada Department of Transportation is reminding motorists of rural driving safety tips.
Nationally, there is a 62 percent higher risk of death in rural crashes compared to similar trips on urban roads. In Nevada, while less than 10% of the population lives in rural areas, nearly one-quarter of fatal crashes occur on rural roads.
With safety as top priority, the Nevada Department of Transportation is providing the following driving safety tips for motorists planning travel in rural areas.
Plan ahead for rural travel
- Allow extra travel time.
- Fill your gas tank. Gas stations may be far apart.
- Carry water, snacks, and basic emergency supplies.
- Make sure your vehicle is road-ready. Check tires, brakes, and fluids.
- Never drive impaired. If you will be celebrating, make a plan beforehand for a designated, sober driver.
- Check NVRoads.com or dial 511 for highway conditions.
Behind the wheel
- Buckle up. Seat belts cut crash injury risk in half.
- Slow down. Speed increases crash risk. Drive the posted limit or slower for conditions. The faster you go, the less time you will have to react to anything on the road ahead. Follow posted speed limits, and be ready to slow below speed limit for adverse conditions such as weather.
- Stay focused. Keep your eyes on the road. Put phones away. Avoid distractions.
- Pass with caution. Head-on collisions are one of the most frequent crashes on rural roads. Only pass in marked areas. Make sure the road is clear.
- Keep your distance. Stay at least 3–6 seconds behind other vehicles. Increase space in adverse conditions.
- Stay in your lane. Keep right and give oncoming vehicles room.
- Continually scan the roadway in front of you, including the potential of wildlife, merging vehicles and more. Watch for vehicles entering or passing on the roadway ahead of you.
- Look out for wildlife and livestock. Slow down, stay alert and scan the road ahead, especially at dawn and dusk.
- Use headlights. Nevada state law requires vehicle headlights to be on from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, when raining or during other limited visibility, and when directed to do so by traffic signage. Daytime running lights can provide enhanced visibility.
- Know your location. Milepost signs along state roads are an important source of driver information. Note milepost locations as you pass to more efficiently provide location if service/emergency response is needed on your drive.
- Watch for farm equipment and slow vehicles. These are common on rural roads.
- Avoid drowsy driving. Take breaks if you feel tired.
The state’s Zero Fatalities traffic safety initiative provides traffic safety information and reminders at ZeroFatalitiesNV.com, @ZeroFatalsNV on X and @ZeroFatalitiesNV on Facebook.
More information about Rural Road Safety Awareness Week is available at the National Center for Rural Road Safety’s RuralSafetyCenter.org web page.
