How to drive on sand (and how to unbog yourself)

Nothing beats undertaking hands-on training with an accredited off-road driving school, but if you feel ready to give driving on sand a try, here are some tips and lessons to keep in mind.

Prepare your vehicle

Before you even think of driving over sand, make sure you know your vehicle (and yes, it must be a 4WD). Check things such as how to engage four-wheel-drive and make sure you have rated recovery points in case you need to tow or be towed.

One of the most important first steps is to adjust your tyre pressure. Lower pressure increases the tyre’s footprint which improves traction, helping to stop the car from sinking. The correct tyre pressure for your vehicle depends on a number of factors including the vehicle model, sand conditions and tyre size. Before you take your car off-road, you should talk to your vehicle service centre or tyre shop for their recommended tyre pressure. A PSI of 18 is a good starting point, however It’s an imperfect art, and a tyre expert should be able to offer some guidance on your individual situation.

Sometimes there are signs recommending what PSI tyres should be let down to. Once you’re on the sand, if you can roll across it without accelerating and don’t immediately sink, you’ve got the right pressure.

Sand driving often involves going up and down dunes. A sand safety flag is a small fluorescent flag that sits three metres in the air and is mounted to the front of the vehicle when driving over sand. It helps other drivers to see you and is a requirement for driving in the Flinders and Simpson desert. Even if it’s not compulsory, it’s a good idea to fix it to your vehicle before driving on any sandy off-road path.

Follow the rules, don’t cut corners

Not every beach can be driven on, and not every sandy-road should be followed. Beaches are delicate ecosystems and too much human interference can cause damage. Birds and turtles often nest in dunes and the grasses that grow across them help eliminate erosion. Driving over sand dunes can damage the flora and fauna that live there.

Always follow signs and take note if you need to purchase a ‘permit’ to venture onto a particular stretch. Those rules are in place for a reason and fines can be steep if you’re caught doing the wrong thing. Also remember that just because tracks suggest another car has already driven there, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily safe for you. Stick to the rules for your own safety and to preserve the land.

Come prepared

While no one plans on becoming stuck in the sand, you should prepare for it to happen. Even the most experienced sand drivers can find themselves spinning on the spot. The trick is to have the right recovery equipment on hand.

At a minimum, you should have: snatch straps in case you need to be pulled out, tyre gauge to check and adjust tyre pressure, long handled shovel in case you need to dig out of a bog, a jack and proper base plate in case you need to change a tyre or lift yourself out of a hole and traction boards to help your tyres get grip.

If it’s a long distance between the place you return to the sealed road and the service station with an air compressor, then you’ll want to carry your own compressor for pumping your tyres back up.

When you are first learning to drive on sand you should go with another more experienced driver. They should have all the gear you need, but it never hurts to pack your own, just in case you get separated.

It’s also a good habit to let someone know where you plan on driving and when they can expect you back. Off-road journeys can be isolated and if you come into trouble and don’t make it back, it’s important that someone knows your whereabouts.

Now you’re driving

You’ve got the equipment, you’ve got an experienced buddy to follow and you’ve deflated your tyres. Now is the time for the fun to start.

As you near the start of the sand, engage the 4WD function if it’s not on already. If you have the option of ‘4WD low’, select that over ‘4WD high’. You want to drive conservatively, but maintain steady forward momentum.

As the tyres have been let down, there’s an increased risk of them coming off the rims. Avoid sharp turns and take it easy. If there are posted speed limits, stick to them. 30km/hr feels much faster when driving on sand. Make sure you leave plenty of space between yourself and other drivers. And even if there aren’t signs, road rules still apply. You must hold a valid drivers licence and your vehicle must be registered to drive on beaches or dunes.

If it’s your first time driving on sand, stick to flat, compact beach conditions. This will give you a chance to experience the unique feel of driving on sand before you tackle more difficult terrain.

If you’re going up and down dunes, be sure to stick to a straight line and don’t change direction midway. You also want to maintain momentum, without launching yourself over the top (a fine balance) and if you stop you may get bogged in a dangerous position that’s hidden from drivers coming the opposite direction. This is where your safety flag is extremely important.

If you get stuck

Unfortunately, getting bogged in the sand can happen to even the most experienced drivers. The trick is knowing what to do so you’re not stuck for long.

The first thing to do is to stop accelerating forward. This may dig you deeper. Instead, try to gently reverse. Often the tyre tracks have created enough of a ‘ramp’ that you can back up it and drive off. If this doesn’t work, try letting a little more air out of the tyres. The added traction could be all you need.

If neither of those steps work, it’s time to pull out your shovel. Dig around all 4 tyres so the car isn’t sitting down in the sand. Traction boards are great tools to help with recovery. You simply dig a bit around your wheels, wedge the boards under them and slowly drive out.

If you get stuck on an incline, don’t try to drive uphill. You’ll have more luck using the momentum of the incline to roll downhill and out of the bog. Momentum is key, and once you feel yourself able to start moving, don’t stop until you’re on more solid ground.

If you’re driving with another party and you’ve tried all of the steps above, here’s hoping they have a winch. Now is the time to get out the snatch strap secured to rated recovery points. Always use a dampener on the strap to help absorb the shock if it fails. This reduces the chance of injury to you and damage to your vehicle.

Driving on the sand is a thrilling experience but also a real challenge for beginners. Being well prepared and having a basic understanding of how your car handles will go a long way. Before you take it off-road, make sure you have the right insurance to protect your vehicle.