PLANNING on hitting the road in your glistening new 4WD but not too sure what it can do and, more importantly, how to go about it?
You'll wonder no more with a copy of Vic Widman's 4WD Driving Skills in your glovebox.
The manual for on- and off-road travel is a handy reference guide for anyone into four-wheel driving - or those who just want to know more about the capabilities of their vehicles.
Even on sealed roads, these vehicles require a different set of driving skills: off-road the demands are many times greater.
This second edition of the guide complements nationally recognised training courses and has been fully revised to include updated vehicle terminology, technology and recovery techniques.
It explains the essential skills of four-wheel driving for every type of terrain, how to approach challenging situations, and what to do if things go wrong.
Author Vic Widman bought his first 4WD more than 40 years ago and learnt his driving skills the hard way.
"In those days I spent many scary moments behind the steering wheel on a lonely 4WD track deep in the forests of the east coast of Australia," he writes.
Widman now heads one of the country's leading 4WD training schools and tag-along tour companies, but while much has changed, many things have remained the same.
"I see in the eyes of my clients that same wide-eyed look of fear of the unknown that I often experienced myself."
4WD Driving Skills by Vic Widman (CSIRO Publishing) RRP $39.99.
Widman is also the author of Travelling the Outback and Classic Outback Tracks.