Avoiding 4WD track head-on collision

Thank you to Exploroz for this important article. A recent Forum post this week about UHF use on the Canning Stock Route highlights some important safety issues for desert travellers. In outback Australia we have a number of well-used desert treks that have long stretches of sand dunes to cross. These include both the Simpson Desert and the Canning Stock Route. Both these areas can be traversed in either direction, so the opportunity to come across travellers head on is very real and likely, especially if you’re travelling during the peak season. Adhering to a couple of simple safety precautions is your best defence against disaster so we thought we’d mention them in this week’s newsletter. When dune driving in remote areas you really must use a UHF radio with a high-gain antenna - get the best antenna you can afford. You should also have an effective sand flag mounted to your vehicle. Apparently, there are some travellers without either! Using UHF radios appropriately includes using the correct designated channel for the area and limiting non-essential chit-chat on the open airways. On the Simpson, Channel 10 is the designated track channel, whilst on the CSR it is channel 40. Some people like to scan all channels as a safety backup to ensure that they will hear all nearby conversations as an early warning of nearby travellers. The problem with this approach, is that listening to chit-chat is very frustrating for the listeners. Long, unnecessary chit-chatting must always be avoided whatever channel you use. So our first safety advice is to always assume that others are listening and never monopolise any two-way radio channel, especially when touring popular tracks. For more information about UHF radios, see our UHF Radio Article. The next bit of advice we have for you is to always know where you are in relation to a recognisable landmark (eg. “x” km from “y” track junction”). Out in the desert, this might seem a difficult task but you simply need to learn how to adapt to driving “aware”. This means using your odometer (or other readings) and knowing the names of track junctions and landmarks you pass. Knowing your position relative to a landmark in the middle of a desert takes effort and thought but is a great habit to develop and can make all the difference when communicating effectively with oncoming vehicles. Announcing your position from the tops of dunes periodically, along with scanning the horizon for dust that could indicate vehicles should be part of your conscious driving behaviour. If you hear no response to your calls, then continue driving. If a response is heard it is best to stop to ensure you can find out where they are before driving down into any swallows or valleys.

Driving with a sand flag mounted to your vehicle also makes you more visible as you ascend a dune. The idea with the sand flag is to give oncoming vehicles just enough reaction time to stop before you collide head on.