Driving on corrugated road in Dirk Hartog Island
Please note before continuing reading, that we respect the for and against points of views. So, chill out and enjoy the reading. 🙂
This is one controversial subject, that attracts a lot of discussion, in our experience. Quite often when we post videos of us driving on corrugated tracks, we get lots of comments from people telling us to just drive fast as it is more comfortable. So, we decided to write this post to address the subject and explain why we don’t drive fast.
Two schools of thought
There are two schools of thoughts regarding driving on corrugated roads. The more popular (in our experience) view is that you should drive fast and it is actually good, as you glide over the bumps and this reduces vibration. In this case, you presumably do not feel the bumps and the drive is relatively smooth. Not only that, you save significant amount of time by arriving to your destination sooner. As we are not supporters of this point of view, we can’t share our experience of driving fast. We did try but it didn’t go very well.
The second school of thought considers the risks of fast driving on corrugated road and whether they outweigh the benefits. In our opinion, there are multiple risks. First, the risk of damaging your vehicle is much higher when you drive fast over those bumps and holes. Second, the chances of a collision with another vehicle (assuming it is a single winding track, or the one going up and down hills) are much higher. When you travel at higher speed, it takes longer for the vehicle to stop. And if the track abruptly stops or breaks, there is a risk of flipping the vehicle when one losses control. If this happens in the outback with no services, including ambo services or flying doctors not immediately available, we all know the consequences in the extreme case. Vehicle breakdown with no help or services to fix could potentially cost $$$. This is the best scenario.
Head on collision with another vehicle due to them driving too fast! On Useless Loop Road, Edel Land NP.
What determines your driving on corrugated road
We are not advocating one or the other point of view. Everyone drives according to their own skills level, experience, personal choice and preference, as well as personality and temperament. Some people like high speed and lots of action in their life and this is directly translated into their driving style. While others are more cautious, slow and choose prevention rather than dealing with consequences. We are all different and make different choices in life.
Circumstances will also determine your driving style. For someone who goes off-road with one spare tyre and minimal vehicle repairing experience, it might make a good sense to drive slowly to avoid damages to the vehicle. Consider, on the other hand, someone who is fully equipped with a few spare tyres, all the necessary tools and equipment, plenty of mechanical knowledge and experience and is travelling in a convoy. These are different circumstances and drivers would often weigh the risks according to the backup plan they have.
Other considerations
Ultimately, the speed which you choose for tackling corrugated tracks is not the only consideration. Having the correct tyre pressure, as well as the correct type of tyres for a particular terrain is important. There is no right or wrong when it comes to the correct tyre pressure, as it depends on so many variables, like the condition of the track, the weather, time of the day. Eg. the sandy track under the heat is so much softer. The same track is much harder when the sun goes down on that same hot day. The type of vehicle you drive, its capability, suspension might also make a difference. Engaging in correct 4WD gear is yet another consideration.
There are other things that is good to take into consideration when driving on corrugated tracks, other than worrying about the speed. Stopping every now and again (at least once every hour) is a good practice to check the vehicle conditions. Let others overtake. We love stopping often, as it gives the rest of us (passengers) a chance to stretch the legs, for the kids to run around a bit, and for the photographers to appreciate the beauty of the outback. Most importantly, we love to enjoy a cuppa with a favourite bikkie and admire the rig as part of the family. Or admire the rigs that overtake us. :). We love to observe life and fully experience what is happening for us, rather than rushing through the experience.
Safety should come first
Not last to mention the unwritten law that it is a common road courtesy to slow down when approaching or overtaking a vehicle on corrugated tracks. You wouldn’t want this until it happens to you. Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of that. We were very often enveloped in a cloud of dust by oncoming traffic to the point that we could not see anything at all for a few seconds. Does that sound like this type of driving poses a danger to you? It does, to us. The worse is the rocks and projectile/stones from the oncoming traffic hitting the windscreen. Worst, it hits someone via smashing windscreen. So, if you choose to travel fast on corrugated roads, please be, at least, considerate of other drivers.
We travel by ourselves and rely only on ourselves and what we carry with us, including our own experience and knowledge. For us, safety is more important than comfort or quantity of kms covered.
Here is a good article that we find quite educational. It also explains in details how corrugation is formed.
While we do have substantial experience in 4Wdriving by now, we are by no means, the experts and are simply sharing our experience. There are some things that we might not be aware of – like everyone else, we are constantly learning. If there is something that you think would benefit others (and us), please do share your knowledge and experience by commenting below.
