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As a matter of fact, virtually all of the gravel roads around where I live ARE explicitly off-limits and closed (barricaded or gated) to ALL motorized traffic (except the very rare service/maintenance vehicle). I'm talking about the levy roads that criss-cross the Everglades for many many miles here in South Florida. There are literally hundreds of miles of gravel down here. No hills, but a bit of wind now and then. The only downside is no shade... All of it available to Cyclists and Pedestrians and no Motorists.

I enjoy riding out there because I see all sorts of things up close that 99.999% of the 8+ million people that live here have never seen except maybe on TV or the Internet. The animals and birds and really just the quiet of being away from civilization is incredibly refreshing since I spend so much of my life in the "Rat Race".

I live in the land of idiots - seriously, I avoid being hit multiple times each and every time I venture out on the Road Bike - no exaggeration. People around here are the most self-absorbed, entitled, get out of my way, face stuck firmly in their phone, clueless sort that I've encountered anywhere I've lived or traveled in the world. Pedestrians and Cyclists are killed literally every single day somewhere in Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach county. So many that it doesn't even make the news anymore.

None the less, there is still a very large Road Bike community down here and many ride on a regulary basis. However, pretty much all that I know have had at least one serious accident and virtually all know people who were killed at one time. Many folks that I know have given up road riding completely and taken up Mountain/Trail riding and/or riding the levy roads.

So I guess to answer the question: Yes, I ride gravel to get away from motorists... but mostly to get away from people.