4x4 PROFESSOR

It’s one of life’s pleasures to get to drive an off-road vehicle in remote and challenging areas, but this activity is still causing controversy after so many years due to the way some people misbehave in nature.

Man and machine have been almost everywhere on Earth – and you know that wherever he went, he left tracks behind. This is why we cannot justify any new tracks through the veld when there’s already a road nearby.

The term ‘off-road’ is misleading, because one should never leave a trail. By simply blundering through pristine veld, you’re harming nature, and this is not something a conscientious 4x4 driver wants to be guilty of.

The brandy brigade has unwittingly – or maybe even deliberately – destroyed the environment to such an extent that the Department of Environmental Affairs banned all of us from driving on beaches in 2007. What’s more, a number of nature reserves have since closed their off-road trails.

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with a brandy and Coke or a 3 ℓ V6 with mud tyres – although mixing those two is never a good idea – we as members of the 4x4 community have a responsibility to nature. Don’t tolerate hooligism and familiarise yourself with these 12 commandments for responsible off-road driving.

We as members of the 4x4 community have a responsibility to nature