Getting Familiar with Off-Road DrivingIt is a good idea to practice in an area that issafe and close to home before you go into thewilderness. Off-road driving does require some newand different driving skills. Here is what we mean.Tune your senses to different kinds of signals. Youreyes, for example, need to constantly sweep theterrain for unexpected obstacles. Your ears need tolisten for unusual tire or engine sounds. With yourarms, hands, feet, and body, you will need torespond to vibrations and vehicle bounce.Controlling your vehicle is the key to successfuloff-road driving. One of the best ways to controlyour vehicle is to control your speed. Here aresome things to keep in mind. At higher speeds:• You approach things faster and you have lesstime to scan the terrain for obstacles.• You have less time to react.• You have more vehicle bounce when youdrive over obstacles.• You will need more distance for braking,especially since you are on an unpavedsurface.{CAUTION:When you are driving off-road, bouncingand quick changes in direction can easilythrow you out of position. This could causeyou to lose control and crash. So, whetheryou are driving on or off the road, you andyour passengers should wear safety belts.Scanning the TerrainOff-road driving can take you over many differentkinds of terrain. You need to be familiar withthe terrain and its many different features.Here are some things to consider.Surface Conditions: Off-roading can take youover hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand,mud, snow, or ice. Each of these surfaces affectsthe steering, acceleration, and braking of yourvehicle in different ways. Depending upon the kindof surface you are on, you may experience slipping,sliding, wheel spinning, delayed acceleration, poortraction, and longer braking distances.338
