Road rules for Rangers
Issued: 27 Aug 2024

Know your vehicle

Up in our northern parks and forests, Safety Ranger Evan helps QPWS staff get across the many different makes and models in our fleet and says it’s critical for everyone to be trained on any vehicle they’re going to drive.

‘We train and induct on their specific vehicle, and if they’re going to use several different vehicles, they’ll be inducted on each one. To start with, four-wheel drive training covers general information on how to operate and drive a four-wheel drive as well as vehicle recovery.’

‘It’s about our Rangers getting to know their vehicle—what are the different safety features it has, like safety sensors and other indicators—as well knowing the different settings, like how to engage low and high range four-wheel drive and front or rear diff locks. It’s also about finding out how to recover their vehicle, knowing the correct connection points and the right gear to use.'

‘I’m forever reading manuals to get as familiar as possible,’ Ranger Evan said.

'On our coastal and island parks, we ensure driver training focuses on techniques for safe four-wheel-driving on the beach. We cover safe four-wheel driving on sand, recovery techniques and learn about judging tide times and being aware of hazards such as wash outs and extreme soft sand conditions. These skills are paramount to safety and not getting bogged and caught in a rising tide,’ Coastal and Islands Ranger Sam said.

‘Driving on sand is very different to other unsealed tracks and you definitely need a capable four-wheel drive, and driver.’

‘Unfortunately, serious vehicle incidents involving fatalities and injuries do occur with some regularity on our beaches. Unsafe driver behaviour, inexperience and not driving to conditions are the main causes of these incidents. We encourage all beach drivers to have the right training and understand the capabilities of their vehicle before venturing on to the beach.’

‘At the end of the day we want everyone, both visitors and our Rangers, to get home safe’ Ranger Sam said.

Bring a buddy

Knowing your limits and only driving to your level of experience is key for a safe and enjoyable journey.

‘More senior and experienced Rangers will buddy-up with new or less-experienced staff, providing ongoing mentoring and support until they feel confident.’

‘The level of training and skillset can vary widely between staff, from only knowing how to change a tyre to full recovery of a vehicle, so we make sure there’s always someone more skilled on the journey to offer support and guidance when needed,’ Ranger Evan said.

Their advice to a visitor would be the same—where possible, travel with friends or family to extend your experience and recovery options.

Check and check again

Vehicle checks are a must before driving on any sealed or unsealed road. Before a Ranger gets in any vehicle, they check it over before they drive it, every single time.

‘Vehicle checks can vary widely. It could be something as simple as making sure the vehicle is fit for purpose. For example, we’re not going to use an all-wheel-drive vehicle to go on a trip to our remote Cape York Peninsula national parks, or on any of our four-wheel drive tracks for that matter. It can also include checking water, oil and tyre pressure before your drive, or scheduling more extensive checks such as getting it serviced by a licensed mechanic,’ Ranger Evan said.

‘For longer journeys, we make sure we’re taking regular breaks and swapping drivers to avoid fatigue and Rangers do walk arounds of their vehicles whenever they stop, looking for anything out of the ordinary and checking things like the wheel nuts to make sure they’re not loose or fallen off.'

‘We also have a check-in procedure for travelling remotely, with a nominated contact who knows where we’re planning to travel, expected arrival times and when we’re expected back. Rangers check in with that contact at designated check-in times so they can keep track and be on alert if something goes wrong,’ Ranger Evan said.

Know the terrain

Finally, knowing the terrain you’re going to travel through and how your vehicle can handle that terrain is equally important for our Rangers.

‘We’re out and about on our parks and forests in all seasons and conditions, but that doesn’t mean we’re taking risks when trying to access areas that may become inundated after a flood event, for example. We’re asking ourselves if it’s too wet or muddy to go on the track that day. We’re on the lookout for washouts and not going any further if we’re going to cause damage to the track, or ourselves,’ Ranger Evan said.

‘There’s no need to rush through, especially on things like river crossings, when it can be tempting to drive through. We’re in no hurry to put ourselves in a risky situation, or to cause unnecessary damage to our vehicles.’

‘With water crossings we’re measuring depth, either walking across (obviously not in croc country) or looking at depth indicators on the road. And of course, if it’s flooded, forget it—we never drive through floodwaters or fast flowing rivers or creeks,’ Ranger Evan said.

‘When on dirt roads, we drive with our lights on even during the day for greatest visibility and engage four-wheel drive for safer control of the vehicle. We’re on the lookout for obstacles like fallen trees, potholes, corrugations, washouts and bulldust holes which can be filled with dust like talcum powder, making them hard to see, and they can be deep.’

‘Dust can become a big safety issue with visibility and on a windless day you could be 5km behind a road train and still be covered in its dust. We train our Rangers to take their time, pull back and use this opportunity to take a break and literally let the dust settle.’

Explore with confidence

One of the great joys of our parks and forests is to get out and explore the outdoors in your own vehicle. No matter where your journey takes you, with the right training, skills and experience you can explore with confidence and make sure you get home safely, every time.

‘Four-wheel-drives cost a lot of money, so it’s important to know how to operate and drive them safely, looking after yourself, your passengers, your vehicle and our parks,’ Ranger Evan said.

Here are some Ranger tips for your own on-park four-wheel drive adventures:

• Get to know your vehicle.
• Travel with a mate – ideally one who knows the area; especially on your first few trips or where the tracks are challenging.
• Drive for the preservation of your vehicle, the tracks and our wildlife.
• Do regular check overs of your vehicle throughout your trip.
• Know where you’re going and the kinds of conditions to expect and look out for.
• Slow down, take it easy and enjoy the beauty of our protected areas.

Read more about four-wheel driving with care.