Sand flags

Last year I did a trek onto some private stations, 3 to be exact, all owned by the same person. It was mandatory to run a sand flag by the station management as a safety requirement for safety of their staff as well as my self as the track was single vechile and blind crests. ( easy to have a head on) I suggest that you install a mount and carry one for the minimal cost of safety as well being prepared to erect one easily should the occasion arise.. I do think it is mandatory on some tracks in SA, or highly recommended. Hope this helps you out. My attitude is always think safety first, even if others seem not to worry. For $120- or there abouts I would not hesitate to carry one

MY concern was for the young bloke being told something that is untrue and forcing him to buy something that he does not legally require, and spending UP TO $140 on something that he doesn't need, that is what I am concerned with. I am not fully conversant with the traffic act of W.A. and I didn't know so I asked the question, and by the responses that the question has raised, and the answers I have received to my question it has been answered. thank you all.
And I do use a sand flag myself in case you are all wondering. thank you one and all.

Regardless of the law, cost can be Nill. For a bit of a joke I used a very long bamboo pole with a Fluor vest wired to the top last Simo trip. Rather eye catching and almost the tallest flag I saw!

The OP seems was told it is a requirement for offroading....which it isn't ....EXCEPT for the Simpson desert ( and possibly other deserts ?? )

If you have no intention of doing desert treks or remote station treks, then no, a sand flag is not needed..

Simpson & Canning to my understanding - not aware they're mandatory on any other public roads or NP's

Private landowners have the right to make thier own rules......

Hi Scott,
I have always believed that to be prepared as best you can for anything to happen, and I agree with you on the use of UHF radios, do you know of a channel that everyone uses when off road, the trucks use channel 40 caravans 18 and a lot of people have them in there vehicles and never turn them on, with me I put my radio on when the wheels hit the dirt and put it on scan and hope like hell I hear someone calling before I get to the next rise.
So Far in all our travels we have had very few near misses, and I put it that down to good luck than management.
Maybe one day we may be able to get some sort of uniformity with all off roaders.
just my 2c worth.

Brodie, some places like the Simpson & CSR mandate a channel, otherwise, once off the East Coast and unless you're in a group - Ch 40 is it.

Except for the New England Highway...Ch 29.

New England Hwy is Ch 40 The Pacific is 29

"New England Hwy is Ch 40 The Pacific is 29" - why I said "once off the East Coast"

Channel 10 is usually the one used for 4WD tracks and National Parks. This should be signed when you enter. Use what ever channel is on the sign. Some roads frequented by mining trucks or logging trucks will be signed "switch to channel xx" if different to channel 40.

And everyone naturally assumes that all vehicles have a UHF CB fitted. Sadly, this is not the case.

To get back on topic, here is an offering from Bushcomm, that is a mining safety whip with intergrated LED lighting, and a UHF antenna can also be incorporated into the whip.

Safety Whip

Agree about the radio. Same on CSR - met some Pathfinders/x_trails without anything.

I can't help but laugh Stu. Just imagine a convoy of blinking lights and christmas tree LED strips heading across the dunes.

Next you will want us all to have a man with a red flag , stop/slow and hi-vis clothing leading every car through.

Agree with sand flags but for the right place. Not driving around town like you see occasionally. Please leave me with some responsibility.

Phil

G'day Phil,
My late Father often recanted that when he was a young fella, a motor car had to be preceded by a man on foot, waving a flag in order to stop the horses from being spooked.

And from where I sit it looks like we are heading back there with all this "over the top" safety stuff. And in most cases it's the minority who haven't the sense to take care and responsibility for their own actions.

Don't start me - as Phil Gould would say.

Catchya

Phil

Yep Scrubby a 3 piece surf rod , is what we use , we had the highest most visible flags in the Simpson .

Hi Les,
the young bloke had a fairly new Mitsubishi sitting outside the front of the shop, and he reminded me of me when I first set up my first lot of recovery gear back in the seventies brand new everything, not even the wifes temper when I got home with all the new gear, and the rent was due the next day, being thirty dollars short, OUCH. lol but we survived, and I suppose he will too.

shane, if you followed every bit of advice from a salesperson or 4wd 'celebrity' (read promotional mouthpiece) on what was 'essential' gear, you'd need a b-double to haul it all around.

We all learn by experience (and jeez we've all tossed gear out), however I wonder sometimes how 4wd newbies work it all out. Remember one time standing outside a tent at a 4wd and camping show watching some spruiker doing a number on a fairly clueless bloke over some bit of expensive multi-functional bi-directional cooking gear that promised to make pizzas / roast dinners / pavlova's etc. in the middle of nowhere. Had more windings than Inspector Gadget. Bloke was trying to convince the missus they couldn't leave home without it. Missus didn't look convinced (as she was the one who was probably going to have to figure it out and use it). Couldn't help myself and sidled up beside them a quietly told them it'd wind up in the back of the garage!