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45 Degrees North: Walking On Rural Roads [1]

['Donna Kallner', 'The Daily Yonder', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar']

Date: 2025-05-23

Last winter our rural volunteer fire department was dispatched on a day where freezing fog seriously reduced visibility. As I pulled into the fire station, I saw someone who lives nearby out walking his dog. So when I pulled out again in a fire truck, I knew they were probably just beyond the crest of a hill on a narrow township road.

When I caught up to them, the walker had his dog leashed and off to the side and I passed them safely. But I couldn’t help but imagine what might have happened to a walker wearing such dark clothing on a day like that if they didn’t hear a siren and the driver wasn’t expecting to meet them on the road.

Approximately 60 percent of road miles in the U.S. are non-interstate rural roads maintained by local governments. There aren’t many places where counties, townships and tribal governments can justify building sidewalks. So things can be challenging for walkers out here.

What are the protocols for walking on rural roads? What should we tell visitors from areas with crosswalks and pedestrian right-of-ways? And what should motorists know about foot traffic on country roads?

Walk facing traffic. Walk near the edge of the roadway facing oncoming traffic so you can see it approach and react as necessary. Listen for traffic coming from behind as well. If you hear a vehicle approaching from behind while another vehicle is coming toward you, don’t wait to step off the roadway: Yield to big moving objects so one of them doesn’t feel the need to zig where you zag. If you’re walking with others, walk single file where visibility is limited by curves, hills or weather conditions. Keep the focus forward, with an ear tuned behind and your head on a swivel.

Exceptions. The strategy changes for blind curves and areas with guardrails or other obstacles that impede your ability to safely step off the road. Where I live, we have hills, curves, and woods that canopy the roads. There are steep drops down into kettles, or holes, left by the glaciers. County highways and town roads tend to be narrow with not much shoulder. State highways may have a few inches of paved shoulder beyond the fog line, but that doesn’t feel like much room when vehicles are traveling at highway speeds.

In other words, the norm here is limited visibility for motorists and limited options for walkers who need to put a safe buffer between themselves and traffic. So it’s important to look both ways before moving to the side of the road if it seems safer. Traffic will now be approaching you from behind, so exercise even greater caution while moving past the hazard area. Once you’re past, look both ways again and move back to the side of the road that gives you a better view of oncoming traffic.

Unexpected hazards. There can be unexpected hazards even in areas where you know the name of every hill and curve – high water that pools on the roadway at a sharp bend or fills the ditch where you might have wished to step off the road, or the ditch that was just “mowed” by a road crew, leaving it booby trapped with something akin to punji stakes.

There could also be branches down, roadkill or other debris that can cause a motorist to swerve. There are moments at sunrise or sunset when a motorist coming over a hill is temporarily blinded. There’s the bicycle you don’t hear approaching from behind, or the farm equipment that swerves out to avoid a mailbox or bridge abutment. There’s the dog you weren’t expecting to be loose, or the mama bear trying to herd her triplets across the road. The last patch of ice to slip on or the slithering snake that makes you jump just as traffic is about to meet going two directions.

For any number of reasons, you can’t afford to be distracted by your phone or lost in the music when walking on a country road. So enjoy the birdsong, the chorus frogs or the sound of crickets — but keep your ears alert and your eyes peeled.

Wear high visibility clothing. If there are still neon garments from the 1990s in the back of your closet, pull them out for your walking wardrobe. Or hang some blaze orange or blaze pink hunting apparel by the door. Better yet, get a high viz vest with reflective stripes. Vests are inexpensive enough to buy several you can share with walking companions, roomy enough to fit over a jacket, and ventilated enough to wear even when it’s warm outside. I also have a couple of high viz hats I wear.

Assume you are not seen. There’s nothing like working traffic control on a fire department incident to drive home one lesson: You can be decked out in high viz holding a reflective stop sign with emergency vehicles flashing their lights behind you and still be invisible to motorists. So always assume they haven’t seen you and may not see you at all. Try to make eye contact with approaching drivers with a friendly wave (not that middle finger wave). But just in case, always be scanning for a reachable spot where it’s safer if you have to jump out of the way.

Just in case. It’s always a good idea to carry ID and emergency contact information. Your cell phone should have an unlocked “in case of emergency” feature. And it’s always a good idea to let someone know when and where you’re walking.

Many rural families use cell phone GPS tracking apps that let others know where a loved one is walking, running or biking. Others text a friend when they head out and again when they return home. For those who balk at being tracked or bothering someone else about their movements, here’s a reminder: Rural roads are notorious for potholes, crumbling shoulders, and shady spots where patches of ice persist longer than seems possible. Stuff happens

Critter avoidance. Some walkers carry bear spray, which can also deter a dog that doesn’t respond to “good boy” or “go home.” Some wear bear bells, which can also alert other critters to your presence so they can avoid you.

Another option is to carry a whistle or a coyote shaker, which you can make by adding a handful of pebbles or pennies to an aluminum soda can and sealing it with duct tape. For many animals, being loud and seeming big are enough to send them scooting. So stand tall, wave your arms, and make a racket. Don’t turn your back or run. Do learn about the types of critters you might encounter in the area where you walk and adjust accordingly.

For canine companions. Don’t forget a high viz, reflective vest or harness for the dog. And it’s a good idea to have a leash along whether or not it’s required. Even well-trained dogs can be unpredictable. And a dog’s breeding, instincts, training, and age can impact its behavior as a walking companion.

For example, a retriever is inclined to “quarter” — that is, to zig zag back and forth in a pattern to scent and flush upland game birds. But that’s not a particularly safe strategy for when canine and companion are simply strolling on a country road. On hills and curves, our hunting dog walks at heel until we can see that it’s safe to let her sniff in her preferred pattern.

Exercise vs. transportation. When I moved to rural northern Wisconsin in the mid-1980s, it was common to see a few people who made regular trips on foot to the corner gas station/convenience store. Maybe they walked because they couldn’t drive, didn’t have transportation, or didn’t have money for gas.

Nowadays, more walkers on rural roads seem to be out for exercise, but there are those who still walk for transportation. It doesn’t cost a dime to walk up the road to catch a ride with a neighbor to church, or to drop off a bag of goodies from the garden. And when you live where there are no sidewalks, that generally means walking on the road.

So when you’re behind the wheel on a country road, stay alert for pedestrians. Slow down and move over, if possible. Wave as you go past. And don’t be surprised if you feel a tiny bit jealous that you’re missing the sounds of birdsong and chorus frogs and crickets.

Donna Kallner writes from Langlade County in rural northern Wisconsin.

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