Summertime!! Bring It! I Wanna Get Outside & Drive!

Summer Driving- Bring it on!!!

It has been a long strange spring and summer is on the horizon. Warm weather brings people outdoors and onto the roadways for a wide range of activities. Cycling, a trip to the river, hiking, or camping at the many beautiful spots around the Palouse are but a few of the traffic challenges particular to this area and season.

Whether you are sharing the road in your car, on a bicycle, or pulling a boat, being alert and courteous are tantamount to safety. Below are some tips for sharing the road with cyclists:

Be visible: Cyclists or vehicles with trailers have unique blind spots
Pass carefully: Never on hills or curves, obey the double yellow lines even if they pull over.
Leave space: Provide ample room for passing between your vehicle and theirs. Sudden braking is dangerous for bikes, motorcycles, and vehicles with trailers.
Don’t speed past: When passing be aware that your vehicle’s turbulence may cause theirs to swerve or become unsteady. To prevent this, pass at a low speed.

Along with an increase in recreational traffic, you will see plenty of Farm Machinery moving throughout the Palouse. The farm machinery will be moving very slowly and often entering or exiting the roadways from access points you had no idea were on the map. Many safety tips crossover but for reasons unique to each vehicle and should be noted. Again, being alert and courteous will bring everyone home safe... and not to be too redundant, below are some specific tips for sharing the road with large machinery:

Be visible: Farm equipment is large and loud, make sure they know you are there.
Pass carefully: Never on hills or curves, obey the double yellow lines even if they pull over. Use caution when passing if they pull over as this may not indicate it is clear to pass at that moment.
Leave space: Stay about 50 feet back from farm equipment on the road. Leave ample room for passing between your car and theirs, large machines cannot just hit the brakes and stop on a dime. 
Watch for wide or unexpected turns: Large vehicles make wide turns often at unusual places. 
Yield to wide vehicles: Some farm equipment may be wider than the road. If you’re approaching an oncoming wide vehicle, stop and pull off the road, turn around, pick a different route, or back away so the machinery can safely pass.

Road Construction is also on the agenda for fair weather. Most work is done during lighter traffic times such as at night or on weekends. Roads are often compromised and caution should be used whether the work is in operation or not. Check locally for construction alerts and be prepared for extra time to get to your destination or an alternate route. Always obey traffic laws and exercise caution.  




Until the next Blog update- Have a great summer, and please drive safe!! :)

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