There is no shortage of gravel roads in San Benito County. If you mostly drive in the city, you should understand that driving on dirt and gravel roads is often more dangerous than driving on pavement. In fact, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts, most of the fatal car accidents in the U.S. happen on rural roadways.
Even though gravel roads can be dangerous, you can take steps to avoid having a potentially catastrophic motor vehicle accident. In fact, staying safe on gravel roads only requires being responsible.
Maintain your focus
By now, virtually everyone recognizes that distracted driving can quickly turn deadly. Regardless of where you drive, it is critical to keep your focus on the driving task. Doing so requires staying off your smartphone, keeping your hands on the wheel, lowering the volume on your radio and watching the road.
Reduce your speed
It is not uncommon for tires to lose traction on gravel roads. To prevent this, it is critical to reduce your speed. Not only does driving slower help to keep contact between your tires and the road, but it also gives you more time to react to emergencies.
Make some room
Regardless of where you drive, you should never tailgate other vehicles. Following too closely can be extremely dangerous on gravel roads, though. Simply put, if there is not enough space between your vehicle and the one in front of you, you may have an increased chance of having a serious rear-end collision due to not being able to stop quickly.
Even though you can drive responsibly on gravel roads, you cannot control how other motorists choose to drive. Ultimately, if you have a car accident in a rural area, you may be eligible for substantial financial compensation from the driver who causes the crash.
