As smash repairers who deal with a lot of rural and regional clients, we see a noticeable difference between ‘city’ repairs and ‘country’ repairs. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the worst vehicle damage we see comes from accidents on country roads.

Government safety campaigns, coupled with the fact that most of us head out of the city at least a few times a year, have created a level of awareness around this already. Most people know in general terms that country driving is more dangerous, but not many are clear on why, or what they can do to reduce their risk of an accident. Safety is a big concern for us, so we’ve put together some of the most common causes of accidents, along with some ways to avoid them.

Driver fatigue

Driving tired is dangerous anywhere, but it’s a particularly significant contributor to the number of fatalities on country roads. The long distances and uninterrupted roads in the country make it easy for fatigue to creep up and people often don’t realise that their ability to drive is impaired until it’s too late. It’s time to take a rest break when:

• Your body is showing signs of fatigue. If you’re yawning, feeling restless or drowsy, or if your eyes are watery or sore, you should find somewhere to stop and rest as soon as possible.
• Your regular driving behaviour changes. If you find yourself getting bored, missing road signs, veering outside the lane or making larger steering corrections, you’re probably suffering from mental fatigue. It becomes second nature to most people, but driving requires a lot of concentration, and you can only keep it up for so long before your brain needs some down time.

Hitting an animal

We see a lot of cars that have hit animals (especially kangaroos) while driving in the country, and the damage to the vehicle can be extensive.

But it’s not as bad as the damage and personal injury which can be caused by swerving to avoid an animal and hitting a tree or rolling your car. If you think you’re going to hit an animal, there are a few things you can do:

– DO try to scare it away. Flash your lights and sound your horn. If you’re driving at night, remember that a lot of animals will be confused by the bright, steady light of your headlights and may even run towards them. Flashing your lights can interrupt this effect.

– DO try to slow down by taking your foot of the accelerator.

– DON’T slam on the brakes or swerve. This can cause you to skid and lose control or worse, to roll your car, particularly on roads that are unsealed or have soft edges. A loss of control for even a couple of seconds at high speed is enough to endanger your life.

We know that even the best advice and the most careful driving will not protect you in every case, and you must always to remember to prioritise your own safety over concern for the animal or damage to your car.

If you are unable to safely avoid it in time and you do end up hitting an animal, you should:

– Turn around when it’s safe to do so and drive back to the site of the accident.

– Approach the animal with care as wounded animals, even kangaroos, can be dangerous.

– If the animal is dead, make sure it is not in a position where it will be a hazard to other drivers.

– If the animal is alive, get in touch with the local Shire or Ranger as soon as you can. Call 1223 for directory assistance (in Western Australia) if you’re not sure how to reach them.

High-speed driving

Driving on the open road can be exhilarating. There are fewer stops and higher speed limits, but as is often the case in life, the things that make it more fun also make it more dangerous.

For most people, country roads are unfamiliar roads. Moving at high speed through unfamiliar territory increases the risk of being surprised by changes in driving conditions – and there’s a big difference between hitting a pothole at 60km/h and 100km/h. Steering adjustments and braking also need to be handled more delicately at these speeds. Drivers need to stay alert at all times and allow for the greater margin for error that comes with driving at high speeds.

Different road surfaces and soft edges

Unsealed roads are common in the country. Apart from the dents and chips caused by flying debris, we see a lot of damage caused when drivers lose control and have an accident when driving on dirt or gravel. Cars are less responsive and take longer to stop on a loose surface, and any sudden swerving or braking has the potential to send your vehicle out of control.

Soft edges are also a feature of many country roads. Some have audible strips to let you know when you’re too close to the outside of the lane, but in many cases you won’t realise until you’ve veered into the gravel. Again it’s important not to jerk the steering wheel or hit the brakes. Instead, gently correct your steering, ease off the accelerator and guide the wheels back onto the road.

The best policy is to drive carefully and pay attention to any changes in the road. Again, a reduction in speed is a good way to reduce your risk.

Visibility

Always make sure you reduce your speed and have your headlights on when your ability to see is reduced in any way. This includes driving at night, sunrise and sunset, or in weather conditions like fog and rain. This is not just to help you see where you’re going – it also lets other drivers know you’re there!

For more information, or to see what else we’re up to, please follow us on Twitter or check our Facebook page.