Protect your thumbs: when driving off-road there is always a risk of the steering wheel kicking back if one of the front wheels snags on a rock, or a tree stump. Please keep your thumbs out of the spoke area so they cannot get trapped by a spinning steering wheel should it fly out of your hands. When holding the steering wheel in the 'ten to two' position, run your thumbs along the front surface of the rim.

Do not ride the clutch: It's so easy isn't it, to rest your left foot on the clutch most of the time? Well don't, because if you do, every time you hit a bump you will cause the clutch to spin which will obviously wear it out very soon.

Apart from that, in a panic situation descending a hill, it's too easy to accidentally use your clutch and freewheel to the bottom of the hill - with alarming results!

The only time you need to use the clutch is when either moving off, changing gear of coming to a halt. When not using the clutch, keep you left foot flat on the floor.

Footbrake: when ground conditions are wet and muddy, only use the footbrake when coming to a halt, say on the crest of a hill while changing from climbing gear to a descending gear, stopping all four wheels from spinning. Or when changing from a climbing gear to a reverse gear on a failed hill climb, or drying the brakes out after wading or coming to a halt.

Well, that's the theory, but in practice, you can use the footbrake with great care by feathering the brakes when tackling a dry rocky descent should your petrol-engined vehicle start to run away with you. If the surface is loose or slippery in any way do not even consider using the footbrake - don't say you have not been warned.

Diesel-engined vehicles usually have enough engine braking so as not to need to use the footbrake.

Classic Range Rovers fitted with ABS brakes are again an exception to the rule. I will cover this in detail under 'descending'.

Throttle: as in the case of the clutch and footbrake, always use the pedals extremely sensitively avoiding abrupt movement which can cause the vehicle to lurch. Always drive off slowly when in mud or difficult terrain, so as not to spin the wheels.

If accelerating, ease the revs up slowly trying to keep the wheels running with the ground. Undue wheel spinning will only cause you to slip and slide about, filling the tyre treads with mud.

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(c)Goodwinch Limited 2006