The Victoria Napolitano Bookstore THE DRIVING COMPANY WORKBOOK | Page 19

SAND
Loose, dry sand can be tricky. You will definitely
need to air-down your tires to as little as 8–12 psi.
This will give you a large enough footprint to “float”
you across the sand. You need to keep your mo-
mentum going by supplying enough throttle to keep
moving but not so much that you start the wheels
spinning or bouncing. With some practice, you will
find just the right amount of throttle. The type of
sand will vary in how much traction you will get.
Moist sand is easier to drive on than dry sand. In
large dunes, the windward side of a dune is more
packed than the leeward side and you will usually
find more traction near vegetation. The key is to
search around for the best traction and generally do
not spin the wheels. If the wheels spin and you are
moving forward, keep going. But if your forward
progress stops for even an instant, get off the gas.
Do not hit the brakes because you will dig the front
in deeper. Driving in sand dunes can be very danger-
ous and requires specialized instruction. You can get
yourself in trouble very quickly if you don’t know
how to read the terrain.
Large dunes can create large blind spots, so be care-
ful when ascending and descending. Keep your ve-
hicle perpendicular to steep dunes. It is easy to get
sideways, causing a rollover. If you have to stop,
then try to stop on a level spot or facing downhill.
Starting from a stop on a steep hill can be difficult
in the sand.
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