CREEK CROSSING SAFETY

Of Australia’s 913,000km of roadways, nearly 560,000km are unpaved. That’s over 60 per cent of our road system. Within this network of sandy, muddy and dusty tracks, you’ll find causeways, dips, and floodways. What happens when a creek stands between you and those magical places you know are waiting on the other side?

The answer is to be prepared. Factors such as the depth of the water, flow rates, and the quality of the underlying ground surface mean that every waterway is unique. Every driver and every rig will perform differently when their paths cross with one. Disregard of any of these inevitable variables, and it’s easy to come unstuck. Indeed, the consequences of failing to assess — and mitigate — the risks of creek crossings can be catastrophic.

So, how can you best avoid these risks?

STEP ONE — UPSKILLING

The first step is to get back to basics, so let’s talk about driving skills. Like