Gravel Road Etiquette

A gravel road is ALWAYS slippery, please drive with the thought of not having perfect road grip. When changing over the rutted medians, take off the gas and keep the steering wheel as steady straight ahead as possible – no countersteering.

If someone wants to overtake, please pull over to the left and take your foot off the gas. This way your car will not throw many stones and the other driver can pass you by slower and carefully, (this way you also get less stones thrown onto the windshield).

• If you drive by somewhere, please do so with due consideration:
• Your car throws stones when you have your foot on the gas – please consider this!!! – The donkeys and the carriage drivers do not like dust and falling rocks
• other drivers are often very poor and cannot afford a new windshield
• Animals often shy away from overtaking vehicles and injure their riders

Apart from donkey and horse carts, young animals can run into your car, be careful.

Please drive slowly past herds and individual animals.

Please do not drive faster than 100km/h on a good gravel road and definitely not faster than 80km/h on a bad gravel road.

IMPORTANT: Many drivers claim that you should drive faster over “corrugated iron” (i.e. grooves on the road) so that the car does not rattle so much and that this is safer – this is STUPID and DANGEROUS, you will no longer have good road grip and will quickly find yourself rolling your car!

Many Namibians drive very recklessly, please do not repeat this, this is about YOUR safety. 

Twilight is the murderous light. At this time, a lot of animals cross the roads and are not easily visible! Practice caution.

PLEASE turn on your lights on the gravel roads as this will help you be seen in the dust clouds! If you have any other suggestions that I should mention here, please let me know.