Off-road driving do’s and don’ts
A permit is required for off-road or dune excursions by quad bikes or four-wheel drive vehicles.
Permits to drive in the dune belt which are valid for three months and identifying stickers are available free of charge at the ministry of environment and tourism (MET) offices in Swakopmund (064 40 4576) and Walvis Bay (064 20 5971) and at Dare Devil Adventures at Long Beach.
No vehicles other than that of emergency services are allowed to drive in vegetated and fenced-off areas.
Quad bikes must be licensed and riders must always wear helmets. Quad bikes are only allowed in the central dune belt between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay as demarcated by MET.
Not allowed
Motorbikes and quad bikes, other than registered tour operators, are not allowed on the beach between the Swakop River and Sandwich Harbour (including Pelican Point). The area between the low water mark and the first crest of the western side of the sea-facing dunes between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay up to the Kuiseb Delta is also off limits. Bikers are not allowed on any roads or tracks on the eastern edge of the dune belt, any gravel plains, or anywhere in the Swakop River.
Permitted
Four wheel drive vehicles are allowed near the beach area north of Long Beach up to the Swakop River mouth. No quad bikes or four-wheel drive vehicles are allowed between the northern edge of Long Beach and the southern tip of the Afrodite Beach development.
The municipal traffic division and Nampol traffic department exercise strict control over road use and adherence to traffic rules and signs.
Road users are reminded to wear seat belts at all times and to adhere to the speed limits and to avoid drinking or using a cell phone while driving. Headlights must be switched on between dusk and dawn, and in foggy or hazy conditions.
Dune driving tips:
• Lower tyre pressures to improve traction
• Drive smoothly with gear changes at high revs
• Ensure wheels are pointing straight ahead when taking off
• Avoid soft sand at the base of dunes and gullies
• Make turns as wide as possible
• Only travel straight up or down dunes
• Follow in existing tyre tracks to drive on compressed ground
• Avoid braking by coasting to a stop
• Do not floor the accelerator if you are bogging down
• When bogged, try to reverse in your own tracks
• Use extreme caution when driving over the summit of a dune
No vehicles other than that of emergency services are allowed to drive in vegetated and fenced-off areas.
Quad bikes must be licensed and riders must always wear helmets. Quad bikes are only allowed in the central dune belt between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay as demarcated by MET.
Not allowed
Motorbikes and quad bikes, other than registered tour operators, are not allowed on the beach between the Swakop River and Sandwich Harbour (including Pelican Point). The area between the low water mark and the first crest of the western side of the sea-facing dunes between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay up to the Kuiseb Delta is also off limits. Bikers are not allowed on any roads or tracks on the eastern edge of the dune belt, any gravel plains, or anywhere in the Swakop River.
Permitted
Four wheel drive vehicles are allowed near the beach area north of Long Beach up to the Swakop River mouth. No quad bikes or four-wheel drive vehicles are allowed between the northern edge of Long Beach and the southern tip of the Afrodite Beach development.
The municipal traffic division and Nampol traffic department exercise strict control over road use and adherence to traffic rules and signs.
Road users are reminded to wear seat belts at all times and to adhere to the speed limits and to avoid drinking or using a cell phone while driving. Headlights must be switched on between dusk and dawn, and in foggy or hazy conditions.
Dune driving tips:
• Lower tyre pressures to improve traction
• Drive smoothly with gear changes at high revs
• Ensure wheels are pointing straight ahead when taking off
• Avoid soft sand at the base of dunes and gullies
• Make turns as wide as possible
• Only travel straight up or down dunes
• Follow in existing tyre tracks to drive on compressed ground
• Avoid braking by coasting to a stop
• Do not floor the accelerator if you are bogging down
• When bogged, try to reverse in your own tracks
• Use extreme caution when driving over the summit of a dune
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article