Safety

When on club trips, the Safety of all people in attendance is paramount.
These are the Safety guidelines which we follow.

  • All drivers must hold a current driver’s license (no learners or under-aged drivers permitted)
  • All drivers must comply with drink driving laws (must be less than 0.05 blood alcohol)
  • All drivers and passengers must wear seatbelts at all times, both on and off road.
  • All normal road rules (including traffic signals, signs, speed limits etc) must be obeyed.
  • 4WD must be engaged as soon as you leave the bitumen. This includes transport stages on Gravel roads etc. The purpose of this is to minimise wheel spin, which in turn minimises impact on the environment and maximises safety.
  • The Trip Leader is in charge of the trip, and so his instructions must be followed.
  • If additional guidance / instruction is required, then the “Tail End Charlie” is 2IC (second in command)
  • Track Marshals are next in rank, and their instruction during obstacles & recoveries, must be followed.
  • Members of GoBush are able to provide assistance to Visitors, but recoveries must be co-ordinated by a Track Marshal
  • Snatch strap recoveries & winching are particularly important, and must be co-ordinated by a Track Marshal. The Track Marshal is responsible for making sure that everyone is a safe distance away from the recovery, and that Safe (rated) recovery points are used (ie. definitely NO tow balls!)
  • Hill recoveries are also of particular importance to make sure that everyone is a safe distance away (to avoid injury from runaway vehicles, rollovers, or snapped winch lines etc). Again, a Track Marshal is required to co-ordinate this.
  • On trips with a difficulty rating of 3 or 4 stars (*** / ****) you are required to have at least one rated recovery point fitted to your vehicle, either front or rear.
  • On trips with a difficulty rating of 5 stars (*****) you are required to have front and rear rated recovery points fitted to your vehicle.
  • It is recommended that all vehicles have a UHF CB or hand held radio, and a basic first aid kit.
  • It is recommended that all visitors consider attending a 4WD course, and in fact it’s a requirement to attend such a course within 12 months of joining GoBush.

In addition to the Safety rules, we also follow a Code of Ethics