A Guide For Your First Off-Road Adventure

Empty rugged dirt road with puddles in green pine and spruce forests in summer.Light and shadows in sunny day. Off-roading.

Going off-road in an SUV or pickup truck can be an thrilling adventure, but there are some precautions you should take. Make sure you’re practicing these safe habits the next time you take your vehicle off-road.

Slow and Steady Keeps You Safe

The latest thrillers might have a few scenes with big pickups speeding across rough terrain fast enough to make the passengers bonce out of their seats. Although it makes for an exciting action sequence on the big screen, high-speed travel over rough terrain isn’t the safest practice in real life. When you’re driving off-road in your pickup truck, keep a slow and steady pace. This will allow you to adjust to upcoming obstacles and avoid collisions or unnecessary damage to your vehicle.

Keep Your Distance

If you’re traveling with a group, keep your distance when you’re on the trails. It’s never a good ideas to tailgate and it’s even more dangerous when you’re driving over rough, muddy, or uneven terrain. Allow for a minimum of two car lengths between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. If they stop suddenly to avoid an obstacle or an animal, you’ll have time to react.

Stay Connected

Stay in communication with everyone in your traveling group. People who are traveling ahead of you can warn you about upcoming obstacles, and you can do the same for your buddies behind you. If you’re off-roading in an area that has poor cell phone connection, invest in a set of quality two-way radios.

Secure Your Gear

If you’re carrying a lot of gear like tent rods, fishing poles, walking sticks, or paddles, make sure they’re secured in your vehicle. If you have an accident these things can become projectiles that can harm you or your passengers.

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Use the Right Vehicle

Once again, you might have seen it in a movie, but sports cars aren’t the best off-road vehicles. If you’re searching for a vehicle that can leave the pavement behind, look for one with high ground clearance, a locking differential, and a good amount of torque power. The GMC Sierra 1500 for sale at David Scott Lee Buick GMC is a great option. Come see us to take it for a spin.

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