New Track Classification System

Good to see.

Being an optomist I am sure that ALL states will rapidly move to adopt the Victorian initiative as a National standard........

Paul

Well, this means one thing...

My Mitsubishi has got three red diamonds, so that beats two black diamonds, and certainly a blue square and a green circle.

My way of looking at it, is that I have three of a kind, and if I drive on the really really tough track, I have a full house.

You can't but help wonder, who dreamed of the whole coloured square - circle - diamond thing... Sort of like play school, which window will we look through today boys and girls?

What ever happened to ... easy - medium - hard?

Oh, I forgot.... we have to write those down in 56 different languages, so we don't get sued, whereby the shapes ( pictograms ) are universal.

Beats the crap out of me.

Wolfie

Although great in theory the track classification system fails to take into account one key element...........Rain! As an example the track into Mitchell's Station in Victoria is of an easy standard, why I've even seen several 2 wheel drive cars in there but given 20mm of rain the red clay is as slippery as Christopher Skase needing mud tyres & lockers to get out. Same with river crossings. The 23 on the Crooked river are dead easy (most of the time) but given 50mm of rain the water can be spashing onto the windscreen. Over time tracks deteriorate & so the grading would become more difficult or on the other side the track becomes easier following a run over by the bulldozer. How could this detail ever be updated on the trails let alone on the maps?
Although the international code used for skiing is a great idea it doesn't quite transfer over for use on 4x4 tracks with far too many variables coming into play.
The upside is if it stops novices going down difficult tracks & thereby avoiding an accident well it's done it's job, I just don't want to hear of cars heading down into Caledonia in the rain because the sign says its easy.....
Cheers Craig.........
Vic

I really cannot see this working; for all the reasons given above.

Additionally it may encourage inexperienced people to attempt tracks which they would otherwise not. The psychological factor should not be underrated - newbies may be far more reluctant to give up on a track which has been rated "Easy" or "Medium" than if the track had no rating at all. Also the testosterone factor may encourage some to try and impress their girlfriends by attempting the double black tracks totally inappropriately. So instead of preventing problem situations it may encourage more.

btw are these ratings for a lifted Land Cruiser with lockers or a RAV 4 with sagging suspension and poor brakes?

Mike Harding