Sharing the Road
Sharing the Road
This domain tests interactions with trucks, cars, pedestrians, trains, and Iowa's rural hazards: gravel, farm equipment, and deer. The theme is that the other road user may not see you, so your safety margin is your responsibility.
Large vehicles
- Stay out of blind spots; if you cannot see the truck's mirrors, the driver cannot see you.
- Do not pass on the right; trucks swing wide left before a right turn.
- Allow extra following distance; trucks need longer to stop and can hide the road ahead.
Rural Iowa hazards
Gravel on paved curves, mud, and farm equipment on two-lane roads demand reduced speed and a wide scan. Deer are most active at dawn and dusk; scan shoulders and be ready to brake upright.
Railroad crossings
Cross tracks at as close to a right angle as practical; wet steel rails are slippery. Do not stop on the tracks.
Worked example
A grain truck ahead signals right and moves left. Reasoning: it is setting up a wide right turn, not turning left. Passing on the right would put you in the trailer's path. Hang back, let it complete the turn, and pass only when the lane is clear.
Traps
- Passing a truck on the right as it turns.
- Following farm equipment too closely.
- Crossing railroad tracks at a shallow angle in the rain.
- Assuming a driver who waved you on has checked for other traffic.