Many drivers believe that driving on a suburban highway is much easier and safer than city driving (by the way, this is why many people prefer to get their first driving skills outside the city). It is probably not worth refuting this opinion completely; on the other hand, it is only partially true. We will talk about some of the features of driving on the highway in this article.
When you drive for a long time on a country road at high speed, you may experience a state of so-called “monotony”, which entails a significant decrease in inattentiveness. In the worst case, this can cause a hazardous phenomenon, informally called “sleep with eyes open”: it looks like the driver is driving a car, but in fact, he hardly perceives what is happening, although his eyes are open.
This state is almost the same as falling asleep while driving. However, “sleep with eyes open” is especially dangerous because it suddenly and is almost uncontrollable. Therefore, as soon as you begin to understand that you are entering such a state and start to “switch off”, – stop urgently and rest (it is enough to take a nap for 20-30 minutes). By the way, one of the inevitable symptoms that the monotonous movement has tired you very much, and you will soon fall asleep is the appearance of hallucinations.
When driving at high speed, be aware that any vehicle standing by the side of the road is an increased danger. In particular, because of a standing bus or truck, a pedestrian can run out onto the road at any time. Pay attention to the gap between the underbody of a stationary vehicle and the roadway – sometimes you can see the shadow of a passer-by or his leg there, which will be a signal to take appropriate precautions.
You can also expect trouble from pedestrians who walk close to the roadway – for example, along the very edge of the sidewalk or along the curb. First, a person can simply stumble and fall onto the highway. Secondly, he can start crossing the road at any time. Third, he may turn out to be visually impaired or hearing impaired, unaware that he may be in danger.
When oncoming passing with other vehicles in poor visibility conditions on the highway, try to stay as close to the right edge of the carriageway as possible. The fact is that an oncoming vehicle can carry a poorly marked and therefore almost invisible bulky cargo protruding far on the sides. If a car is moving towards you with one headlight on, remember that it can be not only a motorcycle but also a car in which one headlight simply does not work.
If you are driving monotonously on a high-speed lane, look at the speedometer from time to time: the fact is that when going like this, a person tends to underestimate the actual speed of movement. For example, it seems that the car travels at 90 km / h, and on the speedometer – 110 km / h.
Driving on country roads:
A distinctive feature of unpaved roads is that they are very “rich” in obstacles to the movement of cars: bumps, potholes, pits, puddles, sticky mud, etc. – Sooner or later, any driver faces this. As a result, the resistance to the movement of cars is more vital than on a hard surface of the roadway, especially during or after rain.
Therefore, you need to move along the “dirt road” at a low but constant speed, if possible – in one gear. This technique significantly increases the coefficient of wheel adhesion to the road surface. Do not accelerate or brake sharply – the wheels may slip.
If the road has deep ruts, move so that one of them passes between the wheels. But if these tracks are hidden in mud or water, it is safer to drive along with them because the bottom of the track is better compacted. In such cases, it will not be superfluous to get out of the car and check the depth and condition of the soil. Blurred sections of the road, with a large amount of mud and water, are better to overcome, first accelerating and not stopping – otherwise, you may get bogged down.
If you are stuck in the mud and skidding – do not “gas” too much; it will still do nothing. Try to get out in the opposite direction along the just created trail in reverse. If it didn’t work out, free the wheels at least a little and put everything that comes to hand under them: carpets from the passenger compartment or trunk, branches of trees and bushes, boards, etc. Sometimes it is helpful to put passengers on the hood (for a front-wheel-drive car) or on the trunk (for a rear-wheel-drive car), which will increase the pressure on the drive wheels and increase their coefficient of traction.
To overcome a hole in the road, slow down and engage a lower gear. Drive into the pit smoothly, but as soon as the front wheels are in it – slightly increase the fuel supply by pressing the gas pedal; when the rear wheels drive into the pit, the speed must be significantly increased.
It is not necessary to overcome high ledges and deep holes at right angles. Otherwise, the wheels of your car will tend to move along the ridge (pit), which will lead to loss of control or, at least, the vehicle’s manoeuvrability. Overcome such obstacles at an angle of approximately 50-60 degrees.
If your car needs light commercial vehicle tyres, make sure you install them. Tyres play a significant role when it comes to driving.
When driving on a dirt road, the surface of which is covered with gravel with a lot of stones, you need to slow down, raise the side windows, increase the distance to the vehicle in front, and the lateral interval when passing with oncoming cars. Do not attempt to overtake and stay away from large vehicles.
