Land Rover & TREAD LIGHTLY! for Ethical Off-Roading

Land Rover & Tread Lightly!

Promote Responsible Off-Roading

Edited by JOSEPH V. KUCA

Tread Lightly! Responsible Outdoor Recreation

Land Rover has worked with Tread Lightly! in the USA for twenty years. Tread Lightly! is a nonprofit organization with a mission to promote responsible outdoor recreation through ethics education and stewardship. The program's goal is to balance the needs of the people who enjoy outdoor recreation with our need to maintain a healthy environment.

The Tread Lightly! Pledge:

- Travel and recreate with minimum impact
- Respect the environment and the rights of others
- Educate yourself, plan and prepare before you go
- Allow for future use of the outdoors, leave it better than you found it
- Discover the rewards of responsible recreation

Tread Lightly!'s educational messages are communicated via guidebooks, quick-tip brochures, a hunting education curriculum, an online awareness course, how-to videos, teaching materials, and a line of children's materials.

Tread Trainer™ is a nationally recognized training course to produce volunteer instructors of the Tread Lightly! ethic all over the country.

The Restoration for Recreation™ program is designed to keep the great outdoors healthy and accessible by providing much needed resources for backlogged maintenance.

The Land Rover Driving Code

Driving your Land Rover should be an exhilarating experience - and one that you can enjoy responsibly if you follow a few simple guidelines:

* Rights of access vary from country to country, so don't assume they will be the same as back home, always check. If necessary, seek permission to cross private land.
* Follow existing routes where possible.
* Respect the peace and tranquillity of others.
* Avoid imposing your presence on other road or track users. Remember to give them sufficient space in which to operate without feeling intimidated or annoyed.
* Drive carefully to reduce erosion and damage to the land. Avoid causing ruts as they form channels that lead to erosion.
* ‘As slow as possible, as fast as necessary’ will get you through most obstacles and lower environmental impact.
* If your vehicle is equipped with a 'differential lock', engage it before venturing onto low traction surfaces (mud, sand etc) to minimise the likelihood of wheel spin and damage to the ground. If your Land Rover is equipped with Terrain Response™, simply turn the dial to the appropriate setting.
* Animals come first! All animals can be startled by vehicles, whether on or off-road, so be prepared to proceed very slowly or switch your engine off and wait. Let them move off at their own pace.
* Make sure your vehicle is fully prepared for your journey. Take the right tools and supplies, check regularly for any leaks and avoid spilling oil, fuel and hydraulic fluids.
* Be mindful of your actions, even when you're not driving; use eco-friendly cleaning material; wash vehicles away from water courses and take your litter home with you.
* When preparing to go back on the road, check lights, tyres and bodywork and clean number plates. Once on-road, drive slowly to prevent damage to other road users from mud and stones flying off the tires.