There is a lot to be said for driving slow. You can go anywhere anybody else can. You minimize the risk of damaging your car or yourself, and you minimize the effect on the environment. Slow is the Go!

To drive slowly over rough ground, you must start to become aware of fine throttle control.

Variations in terrain mean variations in the load being placed on the engine, which in turn is controlled by your right foot.

You need enough power to keep the car crawling along, adding just a little bit more as a wheel is about to hit an obstacle, and backing off a bit if a wheel loses traction and starts to spin.

You need to "read" the track and drive for the circumstances. In other words, you need to THINK!

The biggest mistake most people make with 4WDing, particularly on rocky terrain, is to try and do things too fast. Speed (and by that, we mean anything more than a crawling pace) WILL EVENTUALLY DESTROY YOUR VEHICLE.

If you hit a ledge with a spring hanger, fast may break it; slow will merely

scrape it. If you drive off a ledge fast may dent your fuel tank; slow means it probably won't even touch. If you drive up an embankment and tilt the car, fast may tip it over; Slow lets you stop it before it has a chance to.

Driving in rocky terrain is one of the most common forms of 4WDing around Sydney due to the large sandstone bases of the area. It can also be one of the most worrying for the new 4WDer because it can be very unforgiving if you make a mistake.

Tyre pressure should be let down to allow the tyres to mould over the

lumps and bumps.

SRODRV001B/04 USE THE FEATURES OF A 4WD TO DRIVE A VARIETY OF TERRAIN TYPES

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 04h