Road safety is not a hot topic. With automobile collisions happening more frequently than any other transport accidents, it’s unsurprising we’re continuously looking for ways to improve road safety.
Country roads are one of the most dangerous places high-speed driving takes place. With reduced visibility and limited space, severe accidents can happen on country roads if the correct precautions are not in place.
In this article, we’re sharing five ways road safety can be improved by drivers and road management workers.
Use Plastic Safety Barriers
Plastic pedestrian barriers are barriers used to separate pedestrians from traffic. To find out more about plastic safety barriers and their multiple uses, click here.
In this post, we’re exploring how plastic safety barriers can be used to reduce pedestrian-vehicle collisions.
The limited space on country roads often means there isn’t enough room for a footpath. Plastic pedestrian barriers can help construct a footpath that successfully separates pedestrians from high-speed vehicles. While this isn’t an ideal situation and accidents can still take place, it’s much safer than having no designated footpath.
Plastic pedestrian barriers signal to vehicles and pedestrians the lanes they belong in and are sturdy enough to stay in place against wind and bad weather.
Make Sure To Plan Ahead
If you’re setting out on a route that you know will require you driving down country roads, it’s a good idea to plan ahead. Knowing the roads you’ll be facing can make you better equipped to navigate them when you’re in the car.
Before setting out on your journey, look online to see if your route is clear and decide what is the most efficient way for you to arrive at your destination. If there’s a safer or less congested route than the one you had initially planned to take, take that instead.
When driving down country lanes, you need to keep in the mindset of planning ahead. If you’re the only car driving down a winding country lane, anticipate what you will do if another vehicle starts coming towards you. If there’s a bend in the road coming up, plan how you will approach this bend by slowing down and concentrating. Driving down country lanes requires you to be thinking about what your next move will be and how you will navigate changes in the safest way possible.
Implement Winding Road Signage
Country lanes are notorious for their sharp bends and winding roads. Winding lanes can be a significant safety hazard due to their decreased visibility and limited space. If not approached correctly, serious accidents can take place on winding roads. The hazardous nature of these roads means they require forethought and adequate planning.
When nearing a winding lane on a country road, you don’t know if another vehicle is approaching due to lack of visibility. This is why it’s essential you slow down and manoeuvre around the bend cautiously.
Visible signage is one of the ways to assist cars safely manoeuvring through winding roads and around hazardous bends. Before any winding roads, a clear sign should warn drivers on the approach. By giving drivers adequate warning, they can slow down and plan their next move.
Stick To The Speed Limits
Country roads aren’t treated in the same way motorways or even busy city roads are. Often there are crossing pedestrians, animals, and other vehicles populating these roads. For this reason, you need to make sure you’re always sticking to the speed limits. The speed limits are put in place to protect you and others interacting with the road.
Remember, the speed limit isn’t a target speed. As a driver, you should be driving at a speed that feels safe and appropriate for the road you’re driving down. If there’s a herd of sheep or some horse riders crossing the street, you don’t want to speed ahead and put these at risk.
Use your initiative when it comes to the speed limits.
Other conditions that might influence the speed your drive at may include weather conditions and traffic levels.
Be Visible
As mentioned previously, country roads have decreased visibility. Usually, this is due to their winding nature but may also be the result of poor weather conditions. Accidents usually occur as a result of people not seeing oncoming vehicles. As a driver, you have a responsibility to make sure other cars can see you. Using your dipped headlights can help others see you. In addition to this, you could use sound to make yourself more visible. Sounding your horn when approaching a blind spot can indicate to others that you’re there.
Road safety is a number one priority. We want to reduce the number of fatal accidents happening on our roads every day. Country roads are one of the most common places where these life-threatening accidents are regularly taking place. The five simple steps outlined in this article can help reduce country road accidents and save lives. Whether we do this by using plastic pedestrian barriers or by simply turning our headlights on at the right time, these small steps can make big differences.
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