4by Training can be warranted

Submitted: Tuesday, Jul 20, 2010 at 22:05
ThreadID: 80198 Views:3767 Replies:4 FollowUps:2
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On the way down from Uluru and Yulara we went the Mulga Park Road and enjoyed our travel. Near Victory Downs we came across the best reason to teach staff how to drive dirt roads.

Two young women had been travelling in a Common Rail Nissan Patrol at a speed too high, judging by the skid marks, for their experience. Fortunately though it was on it's roof, no one was injured. I hope in future that the Womens Council will send employees off for 4by training before letting them loose. Something we normally bypass, but in this case warranted.

The ambulance had overtaken us at speed, but then again, we were towing the KK. They were expecting a recovery vehicle being sent, though they didn't know when it was coming.

The person who had been driving did acknowledge perhaps she had been travelling a bit fast and I am sure of that. It had nose dived and had minor panel damage on a couple of the drivers side panels, but certainly the roof, bonnet and windscreen and the top of the drivers door weren't in good shape.
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Reply By: Motherhen - Tuesday, Jul 20, 2010 at 22:15

Tuesday, Jul 20, 2010 at 22:15
Hi John

Sounds like these young ladies have had a lesson at the expense of their employer! 4by training would have been cheaper by the sound of the vehicle damage. Then again, some people don't drive with the same care when they don't own the vehicle. They may not be injured - but they will be sore tomorrow; hopefully the lesson learnt will ensure that they don't come to grief on the roads again.

Happy travels.

Motherhen
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Reply By: get outmore - Tuesday, Jul 20, 2010 at 22:34

Tuesday, Jul 20, 2010 at 22:34
Not just woman drivers and theres no garantee people learn from there mistakes



I was driving from Newman to Nullagine doing 90kph dust billowing out the back
I noticed a telstra GU ute coming up behind but then shifted my focus to the corner i was about to take

- Next thing mid corner, dust going everywhere this telstra utes OVERTAKING!!

I just backed off and shook my head wondering how people get away with driving like idiots


well they dont

50ks further on theres a bit of a turn and the road gos through a wide creek bed

thesres snakey marks for maybe 100metres and heres this ute on its roof ploughed into the bank

Guy was OK so we took him too Nullagine and all he could rave on about was how easily the ute rolled and how bad the road was until one of out guys shut him by saying
- we saw how you drive and those 100m of snakeys didnt get there by themselves

you dont see us having a problem do you?
AnswerID: 424678

Follow Up By: Member - Christopher P (NSW) - Wednesday, Jul 21, 2010 at 08:11

Wednesday, Jul 21, 2010 at 08:11
I did something similar in a datsun sunni one night, but i got blinded by a semi trailers lights, managed to survive, with no damage except a tyre peeled, and the living daylights scared out of me!!!!

Don't do that anymore.

I wonder why?????
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Reply By: vk1dx - Wednesday, Jul 21, 2010 at 08:59

Wednesday, Jul 21, 2010 at 08:59
Our club will not let any member go on a sanctioned club trip unless they have successfully completed the training course applicable for that grade of trip.

As an a side the senior driving instructor has just been given an AOM for his 4WD driver training services to both the club and the general public. So we are in excellent hands.

We have both completed the basic course and are also signed up for the sand and water crossing course in late spring. Don't know about the advanced one as yet as we are not into any extreeme 4WD activities. Each course has many elemenst of 4WD recovery in it.

100% in favour of some kind of 4WD training for all 4WD drivers.

Phil
AnswerID: 424715

Reply By: Member - John and Val - Wednesday, Jul 21, 2010 at 09:48

Wednesday, Jul 21, 2010 at 09:48
We're fortunate to belong to the same 4WD club as Phil has referred to - top trainers. Having driven for half a century or more I knew they couldn't teach me anything! How very wrong I was! After three days training, much of it one on one with an accredited trainer, I was starting to know how little I had known. We've both been through the training program and gained enormously from it.

Since then we've travelled many thousands of kilometres of challenging remote tracks, confident that either of us could assess and manage the risks of remote travel.

The original poster pointed to the need for training for young people handling an unfamiliar vehicle. Entirely agree. Not just young women either.

Some time back we were brought in to lead part of a big commercially run expedition into the north Simpson. One member of the party lost control of his government supplied Land Cruiser. Fortunately there were no injuries, but it was learned belatedly that this driver had never previously driven a manual shift vehicle, let alone been properly introduced to 4WD! Then it was found that very few other drivers had experienced sand driving. The Simpson is not a good place to learn the strengths of self and vehicle!

I'm not in favour of mandatory 4WD training, but good training is very cheap insurance. Ensuring that employees know how to use the employer supplied vehicle is an obligation that could be very expensive if overlooked.

John

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Follow Up By: Member - Tony V (NSW) - Wednesday, Jul 21, 2010 at 10:28

Wednesday, Jul 21, 2010 at 10:28
I fully endorse what vk1dx and J & V have said regarding training, and congratulations to Peter on his AOM.

NSW and ACT 4WD Clubs have access to the Associations Driver Training Unit for anything from basic to advance training. These qualified Trainers and Assessors are all Club members and train to the Nationally recognised SRO3 standards.

For those who do not wish to join a club, there are many good commercial training organisations who train to the same standards.

I believe that if you own a 4WD you have a responsibility to yourself, your family and to every other road user, to know how to drive it properly.
It great to get out there and explore this fantastic country, its also important to get you and your family home safely...

thats my 2 cents worth...




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