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Louisiana driving lesson · Sharing the Road

Rural roads & animals

A 4-minute lesson from the Louisiana course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
4 minutes
Course unit
Sharing the Road
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
110, 111, 112

Empty rural roads can be as dangerous as city traffic: it's easy to relax and then suddenly meet gravel, a narrow bridge, a blind corner or an animal. Stay alert, watch for warning signs, and slow down.

Rural road hazards:

  • Gravel or dirt: less traction; slow down and increase following distance
  • Dust: use low beams, slow down and follow farther back
  • Narrow roads and bridges with little shoulder and steep ditches
  • Open bridge gratings and steel bridges: less traction; firm grip, more space
  • Blind corners from woods, corn or other tall crops
  • Steep hills and sharp curves: slow down and keep right before a crest or curve
Handbook p. 110 ↗

Know the rule

Many rural railroad crossings have only a warning sign and a white crossbuck, with no lights or gates. Slow down, look both ways and be prepared to stop.

Handbook p. 110 ↗

Know the rule

Some rural intersections have no stop or yield signs. Slow down and be prepared to stop for crossing or oncoming traffic.

Handbook p. 111 ↗

Expect on rural roads:

  • Road users and animals coming out of hidden junctions and driveways
  • People working, walking or cycling on the road
  • Farm machinery and slow-moving vehicles
  • School buses picking up and dropping off students
Handbook p. 111 ↗
1.5 million

Deer-vehicle collisions each year in the U.S. (over 150 deaths)

Handbook p. 111 ↗

Know the rule

Wildlife is most active at dusk and dawn, and animals are most active from October through December. If you see one deer, expect others.

Handbook p. 111 ↗

Animal in the road

Animal in the road
AnimalWhat to do
Horse or cowSound horn; brake in a controlled way
Wild animalSlow or stop; no horn or revving; pass far away
Dog chasing your carSlow until it's near, then accelerate away
Handbook p. 111 ↗

Know the rule

Don't swerve into oncoming traffic or off the road to avoid an animal; that can cause a worse crash. The safest choice may be to hit it and concentrate on keeping control.

Handbook p. 111 ↗

If hitting an animal is unavoidable:

  • Don't swerve; keep the vehicle under control and on the road
  • Steer toward where the animal came from (works for a single animal only)
  • Look where you want to go, not at the animal
  • Brake firmly, then release as you hit so the front lifts slightly
  • Report crashes with deer or farm animals to police
Handbook p. 112 ↗

Know the rule

Use flashers or a headlight signal to warn other drivers of animals near the road. Deer tend to fixate on headlights, so flashing them may freeze the animal.

Handbook p. 112 ↗

Put it into practice

At dusk in November, a deer crosses the road ahead. Slow down: deer travel in groups, so more may follow. If one jumps in front of you, brake firmly and stay in your lane instead of swerving.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

About how many deer-vehicle collisions occur in the United States each year?
  1. 15,000
  2. 1.5 million
  3. 150,000
  4. 5 million

Answer: 1.5 million

The handbook cites an estimated 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions annually in the U.S.

Handbook p. 111 ↗
If a wild animal is on the road ahead, what should you avoid doing?
  1. Slowing down
  2. Stopping if it's safe to do so
  3. Using your horn or revving the engine
  4. Passing as far from the animal as possible

Answer: Using your horn or revving the engine

Loud noises can startle the animal into unpredictable movement, so honking and revving should be avoided.

Handbook p. 111 ↗
If a crash with an animal seems unavoidable, what should you NOT do?
  1. Keep your vehicle under control
  2. Brake firmly if there's time
  3. Steer toward the direction the animal came from
  4. Swerve into oncoming traffic or off the road to avoid it

Answer: Swerve into oncoming traffic or off the road to avoid it

Swerving into oncoming traffic or off the road creates a greater danger than hitting the animal.

Handbook p. 111 ↗
Many railroad crossings on rural roads are marked only with:
  1. A warning sign and a white crossbuck only
  2. Full crossing gates and flashing lights
  3. Nothing at all, not even a sign
  4. A stop sign only

Answer: A warning sign and a white crossbuck only

Rural crossings often lack the lights and gates found at busier crossings, so extra caution is needed.

Handbook p. 110 ↗
Wildlife is generally most active, and most likely to be near roads, during:
  1. Midday
  2. Dusk and dawn
  3. Late morning
  4. Early afternoon

Answer: Dusk and dawn

The handbook notes wildlife is more active at dusk and dawn, when it's also harder for drivers' eyes to adjust.

Handbook p. 111 ↗
On a gravel or dirt road, what should you do compared to driving on pavement?
  1. Keep your paved-road speed and gap
  2. Slow down but follow closer to see
  3. Slow down and increase following distance
  4. Use high beams to cut through dust

Answer: Slow down and increase following distance

Gravel and dirt reduce traction, so slower speeds and greater following distance are both needed.

Handbook p. 110 ↗
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