Calls for off-road licence endorsement to reduce bush rescues

The rise in popularity of off-roading has meant an increase in the number of rescues being undertaken by tow truck drivers and recovery specialists in recent years, leading to calls for a special licence endorsement.

Pundits are recommending the change – which would require drivers to undertake a four-wheel-drive course to gain the endorsement – for people to take their vehicles into certain areas, such as beaches or bushland.

Debate has kicked off in recent days after a 2018 blog post from television personality Pat Callinan surfaced on social media.

Callinan argued a typical driver’s licence wasn’t sufficient for most people to be trusted with controlling a large four-wheel-drive, saying “one licence category covers everything from a Kia Piccanto [sic] to a 79 Series [LandCruiser] via a Porsche 911”.

While drivers require special licence endorsements to operate a motorcycle or truck, anyone with a basic motor vehicle licence can take their car into potentially dangerous areas.

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Andrew Boyd from the Toyota LandCruiser Club of Australia told the Daily Mail he believed new-car buyers were venturing out without fully understanding how to operate their machines.

“They take them out of the showrooms. The dealers would not tell these people the different buttons to press,” Boyd said.

“They then take them out to the beaches and get into all sorts of trouble.”

Boyd admitted he was one of those people, finding himself bogged on a beach shortly after buying a four-wheel-drive in his 20s, which eventually led him to joining the club and learning how to drive in different environments.

But some enthusiasts have dismissed the idea of an off-road endorsement as just a cash grab – a way for those operating driving courses to make money, along with the Government.

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Experts, however, agree there are safety benefits to being trained for driving in the bush and outback.

Melbourne man Dane Kowalski went missing in 2015 and was later found deceased around 100 kilometres from outback mining town Coober Pedy, The Age reported, close to his bogged Holden Rodeo ute and with a note stating he had been bitten by a snake.

Last month, a driver from Townsville walked for 30km through the night after his car became bogged in a regional area of Queensland, according to the ABC.

The argument for a special licence endorsement has also been made for caravans, following the increase in numbers of so-called ‘grey nomads’ exploring Australia in retirement, and often towing a large caravan behind them with no training or experience.

What do you think? Should Australian states introduce off-road and caravan training requirements? Let us know in the comments section below.