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Getting Familiar with Off-Road Driving
It is a good idea to practice in an area that is safe
and close to home before you go into the wilderness.
Off-roading requires some new and different skills.
Tune your senses to different kinds of signals. Your eyes
need to constantly sweep the terrain for unexpected
obstacles. Your ears need to listen for unusual tire
or engine sounds. Use your arms, hands, feet, and body
to respond to vibrations and vehicle bounce.
Controlling the vehicle is the key to successful off-road
driving. One of the best ways to control the vehicle
is to control the speed. At higher speeds:
• You approach things faster and have less time to
react.
• There is less time to scan the terrain for obstacles.
• The vehicle has more bounce when driving over
obstacles.
• More braking distance is needed, especially on an
unpaved surface.
{ CAUTION:
When you are driving off-road, bouncing and
quick changes in direction can easily throw you
out of position. This could cause you to lose
control and crash. So, whether you are driving on
or off the road, you and your passengers should
wear safety belts.
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