Environmental Impact

Rules for Safe 4WDRIVING

Ask yourself the 1st question of off-road travel, “Do I really need to drive down this track?”.
Have I engaged 4WD, locked-in the hubs, or locked the centre diff?
Seat belts on.
Keep your thumbs out of the steering wheel and use push-pull steering.
Keep your wheels turning at the same speed as your vehicle moving over the ground.
One vehicle to one obstacle at one time.
Don’t drive where you cannot see (Look for obstacles on foot).
Avoid side slopes (Keep the lateral axis of your vehicle as horizontal as possible).
Avoid riding the clutch
Don’t change gears in the middle of an obstacle.
Appoint one person to be in charge of a recovery operation.
Follow the safety precautions and operating procedures of any recovery equipment
Don’t travel too fast (Allow time for the tyres and suspension to do their thing).
Use momentum only where necessary.
Avoid stop-start driving (Keep the vehicle moving smoothly through an obstacle).
Keep your wheels on high ground.
Modify your tyre pressures to suit conditions.
Keep the centre of gravity as low as possible
Use your steering to keep equal load on all wheels
Avoid dropping both front wheels, or both rear wheels, off an obstacle at the same time.
Ensure loads are secured.

Seek permission before entering land and using tracks.
Adhere to landholders’ guidelines and advice.
Avoid soft or slippery ground in wet weather (Look for an alternative route or wait for tracks to dry before proceeding).
Avoid prolonged use of 2WD in soft of slippery conditions (Engage 4WD).
Avoid spinning wheels (Keep wheels turning at the same speed as the vehicle moving over the ground).
Avoid high tyre pressures (lower pressures in tyres minimises impact and maximises grip).
Leave tread prints, not wheel tracks.
Stay on existing tracks rather than making new tracks.
Use all of the track surface where possible (Don’t just drive in the heel tracks of preceding vehicles. (This gives grasses a chance to recover).
Leave gates as found.
Leave stock and native animals alone (Keep away).
Animals on or next to tracks should be approached slowly.
Avoid stock watering points.
Drive slowly past houses and stationary cars to minimise dust and noise.
Leave your pets at home.
Don’t carry firearms.
Observe fire restrictions.
Ensure surrounding ground is cleared of fuel before lighting a fire (Gas stoves are preferable).
Don’t light fires in strong winds.
Don’t pollute water supplies or watercourses with soap, rubbish, or wastes.
Keep toilet holes at least 50m away from watercourses and cover them well with soil.
Take all rubbish with you (Take out what you bring in).
Thoroughly clean your vehicle after a trip to remove trapped grass and weed seeds.

Posted March 18, 2015