5 tips for driving on unsealed roads
This weekend, you may want to pack the car and do some exploring. Perhaps you have a few remote fishing or camping spots on your to-visit list, where unsealed roads will challenge your driving skills.
Whether you’re a bitumen buff or gravel guru, these five tips will help you have a safe and relaxing road trip.
1. Be prepared
Heading off the beaten track should be more Malcolm Douglas than Russell Coight, so understand your vehicle’s limitations and prepare for potential mishaps.
RAA Senior Manager Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain says that if your vehicle isn’t suited to the conditions, you should modify your itinerary and not venture too far from the main roads.
“Even with a four-wheel drive, don’t assume your vehicle will cope with every circumstance, so be realistic about your plans and off-road driving skills,” Mr Mountain says.
Consider the conditions where you’re travelling, recent weather events, and the tools and supplies you might need to get there and back safely.
“Never drive through a flooded area, and perhaps avoid muddy locations that could be tricky to navigate.”
2. Drive to the conditions
There are decent dirt roads and there are, well, the other kind. A nicely graded dirt road on the way to a winery is very different from one in the middle of nowhere. Some unsealed roads flood regularly and are riddled with potholes. Others may have teeth-rattling corrugations, fallen trees, large rocks, or deep grooves that can shred tyres or break an axle.
Unsealed roads are unpredictable, and their condition can depend on how regularly they’re maintained, how much traffic – especially heavy vehicles – they carry, their natural features and how much it has rained recently.
“If you find yourself on an unsealed road, always drive to the conditions,” Mr Mountain says. “Follow other vehicles’ tyre tracks if you can as the compacted dirt will give you a smoother ride.”
Check the DIT outback road warnings website regularly for up-to-date information on road conditions and contact your local council if you have queries about the state of a dirt road you use.
3. Vehicle handling
Even if your vehicle is set up for towing and you’ve covered thousands of highway kilometres with your boat or caravan behind you, hauling a trailer or caravan on unsealed roads is trickier. Be extra careful and conscious that your vehicle will handle differently.
“On dirt or gravel roads, it’s easy for your vehicle to skid, so avoid making sudden, jerky movements behind the wheel, or slamming on the brakes,” Mr Mountain says.
“If you do, your vehicle won’t stop or manoeuvre the way it does on bitumen. Instead, try to steer and brake gently to avoid skidding and take particular care around corners, where it’s easy to drift across to the other side.”
4. Slow down
Driving at an appropriate speed is crucial to your safety on unsealed roads. Overconfidence and speeding can lead to your vehicle becoming stuck on the side of the road or worse, being involved in a crash.
Keep your headlights on and increase the distance between you and any vehicles ahead to allow for increased stopping distances. Avoid overtaking on dirt and gravel roads but if you must, be certain that the road ahead is clear, and the surface is safe for you to overtake. Remember too that, like bitumen roads, unsealed roads have speed limits.
“Unless signposted otherwise, the speed limit is 100km/h on unsealed rural roads and 50km/h on unsealed local roads, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe to drive at that speed,” Mr Mountain says.
Given the conditions of unsealed roads are adversely impacted by changes in weather conditions, it’s important to drive to those conditions, which usually means travelling at a lower speed than the maximum permitted.
Excessive speed is always dangerous but on unsealed roads, it’s especially so. Stopping distances increase and you can lose control of your vehicle in a split second. The variable nature of unsealed roads will impact estimated travel times compared with travelling on sealed roads, so allow longer travel times to reach your destination safely.
5. Wildlife and other hazards
Whether it’s furry, feathered, or scaly, you’ll probably see an animal or two when you head off-road. If there’s wildlife on or near the road, slow down and avoid braking heavily or swerving. If you hit and injure a native animal, stop your vehicle safely and legally, stay in your vehicle (or keep away from the animal if you get out), and call the Fauna Rescue Hotline on 8289 0896.
When there’s wet weather forecast, be aware of imminent downpours and flash flooding, as unsealed roads don’t typically have stormwater drainage in place. In 30 minutes, a dirt road can go from a dustbowl to a raging river, which is the last place you want to be with your vehicle and caravan.
Lastly, you might have the road to yourself, but be aware that other vehicles will kick up dust and reduce visibility. Slow down, increase the distance between you and the vehicle in front, and keep your headlights on to make your vehicle as visible as possible. If a vehicle is going the other way, be aware of stray stones that can damage your car’s bodywork or windscreen.