OUTBACK SAFETY
“ … one trick to avoid with hired vehicles …”
My wife and I are planning a trip around the West Australian outback in a hired 4-wheel-drive. Could you tell us the right way to go about it, safety factors to observe, etc?
-N. Paternoster, UK.
REPLY: A European friend recently returned from such a trip and told me of one trick to avoid with hired vehicles. It was noticed the hired vehicle did not come with a pump. When asked about it, the hirer said pumps were not necessary.
“But what if we get a puncture, or have to let the tyre pressures down in soft sand?” the hirer asked.
“Just drive to the nearest garage,” was the senseless advice. “It won’t do the tyre any harm.”
Along the way, as it turned out, the vehicle developed a slow puncture and the hirers had no option but to drive 50-odd kilometers to the nearest roadhouse. Of course, the faulty tyre was shredded en route. So the hirers had to pay out $300 for a replacement. Thus, the hiring company scored a new tyre for nothing.
My advice is to refuse to hire a vehicle that does not come with a pump. Otherwise, you could be similarly trapped.
