Rural and outback driving

By the end of this topic you can

• You can plan fuel, water and rest stops for a long trip.
• You can recognise and manage driver fatigue.
• You can drive safely on gravel and dirt roads.
• You can share the road with road trains and overtake them only when it is safe.
• You can make safe decisions about flooded roads.

What you need to know and understand

• Towns and fuel stops can be hundreds of kilometres apart in remote areas, and mobile coverage may be patchy.
• Fatigue is a major cause of country crashes; take a break of at least 15 minutes every two hours.
• On gravel, braking distances are longer, the car can slide, and dust can hide oncoming vehicles.
• Road trains are very long and heavy, take longer to stop than a car, and need a long stretch of clear road to overtake.
• Never drive into floodwater; if it's flooded, forget it.
• Outside built-up areas the default limit is usually 100 km/h, or 110 km/h in WA and the NT, but the safe speed on a narrow or unsealed road is often much lower.

Before a long country trip

• Plan the route and fuel stops, and fill up whenever you can in remote areas.
• Carry plenty of water, snacks, a first-aid kit and a charged phone.
• Tell someone your route and expected arrival time.
• Check tyres, including the spare, oil, coolant and lights.
• Check road conditions and closures with the state road authority.

Gravel, dust and narrow roads

Slow down before you leave the bitumen. On gravel, steer and brake gently, keep a big following gap and avoid sudden moves. If your wheels drift onto a soft edge, ease off the accelerator and steer back gradually rather than jerking the wheel.

On narrow sealed roads, if a road train is coming, slow down and move left, leaving it the sealed strip if needed. Watch for single-lane bridges, cattle grids, floodways and stock on the road.

Fighting fatigue

Warning signs include yawning, sore eyes, drifting in the lane and missing signs. The only cure is sleep. Use rest areas and Driver Reviver stops, share the driving when your licence conditions allow, and avoid driving at times you would normally be asleep.

Common mistakes

• Running low on fuel by assuming there will be a servo in the next town.
• Driving on gravel at sealed-road speeds.
• Overtaking a road train without a long clear view.
• Pushing on while tired to reach the destination.
• Driving through a flooded causeway because the water looks shallow.

Test yourself: Rural and outback driving

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.