07 12.25
Off−road driving precautions
When driving your vehicle off−road, please
observe the following precautions to en-
sure your driving enjoyment and to help
prevent the closure of areas to off−road
vehicles.
D Recreational Vehicle Clubs
D After driving through tall grass,
mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc., check
that there is no grass, bush, paper,
rags, stone, sand, etc. adhering or
trapped on the underbody. Clear off
any such matter from the under-
body. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering
to the underbody, a breakdown or
fire could occur.
D U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of
Land Management
CAUTION
a. Drive your vehicle only in areas where
off−road vehicles are permitted to trav-
el.
Always observe the following precau-
tions to minimize the risk of serious
injury or damage to your vehicle:
b. Respect private property. Get owner’s
permission before entering private prop-
erty.
D Drive carefully when off the road.
Do not take unnecessary risks by
driving in dangerous places.
D In a rollover crash, an unbelted per-
son is significantly more likely to
die than a person wearing a seat
belt. Therefore, the driver and all
passengers should fasten their seat
belts whenever the vehicle is mov-
ing.
c. Do not enter areas that are closed.
Honor gates, barriers and signs that re-
strict travel.
D Do not grip the steering wheel
spokes when driving off−road.
bad bump could jerk the wheel and
injure your hands. Keep both hands
and especially your thumbs on the
outside of the rim.
A
d. Stay on established roads. When condi-
tions are wet, driving techniques should
be changed or travel delayed to pre-
vent damage to roads.
D When driving off−road or in rugged
terrain, do not drive at excessive
speeds, jump, make sharp turns,
strike objects, etc. This may cause
loss of control or vehicle rollover
causing death or serious injury. You
are also risking expensive damage
to your vehicle’s suspension and
chassis.
D Always check your brakes for effec-
tiveness immediately after driving in
sand, mud, water or snow.
For owners in U.S. mainland, Hawaii and
Puerto Rico:
To obtain additional information pertaining
to driving your vehicle off−road, consult
the following organizations.
D State and Local Parks and Recreation
Departments
D State Motor Vehicle Bureau
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