The Basics Of Off-Road Driving

You will encounter many types of terrain driving offroad.

You should be familiar with the terrain and area before proceeding. There are many types of surface conditions: hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow and ice. Every surface has a different effect on your vehicle’s steering, handling and traction. Controlling your vehicle is one of the keys to successful off-road driving, so always keep a firm grip on the steering wheel and maintain a good driving posture. Avoid sudden accelerations, turns or braking. In most cases, there are no road signs, posted speed limits or signal lights. Therefore, you will need to use your own good judgment on what is safe and what is not. When on a trail, you should always be looking ahead for surface obstacles and changes in terrain. The key is to plan your future driving route while remembering what you are currently driving over.

CAUTION!
Never park your vehicle over dry grass or other combustible materials. The heat from your vehicle exhaust system could cause a fire.

WARNING!
Always wear your seat belt and firmly tie down cargo. Unsecured cargo can become projectiles in an off-road situation.

    See also:

    Hill Descent Control (HDC) — Four-Wheel Drive Models With MP3023 Two-Speed Transfer Case Only
    HDC maintains vehicle speed while descending hills during off-road driving situations and is available in 4WD LOW range only. To enable HDC, press the HDC switch or put the Selec-Terrain™ syst ...

    TIME Button (Auxiliary Mode)
    Press this button to change the display to time of day. The time of day will display for five seconds (when the ignition is OFF). ...

    Seat Belt Lock Out
    The center rear seat belt system has a lock out feature that will not allow you to extract the center webbing unless the rear seat upper latch is engaged. ...