Temporary grass car parks are fine when the weather is dry. It’s a different story when the heavens open and numerous vehicles are trying to get on or off the site.
Introduce heavy rain to a field and in no time at all the whole area quickly becomes a mud bath. When this happens, you need to keep your wits about you and take extra care coping in muddy conditions.
We suggest following these driving tips:
Take things easy
There’s no point rushing trying to beat other cars off the site. Floor the throttle and you’ll only spin the wheels and bog the car down into the ground. Be prepared to move slowly off the site. It’s going to take a while and there’ll be plenty of people in exactly the same boat but accept the fact you won’t be going anywhere fast.
Use lower gears
Set off in too high a gear on mud and the wheels are likely to spin straight away. Use a lower gear (like second, for example) and this should prevent the wheels from spinning, and give your car greater traction during the initial pull away.
Improve traction
Place something under the car to give the vehicle extra traction. Sections of cardboard are good for this. Place them directly under your car’s wheels and this should give you enough grip to drive away. If you are desperate to get moving and have nothing else available, you could always use car mats in an emergency.
Maintain momentum
Once your vehicle starts moving: keep going. If you stop, you might struggle to get going again. It’s important to maintain momentum, especially on slopes and inclines where it can be difficult to maintain grip.
Avoid ruts
Try to steer a clear path across smooth sections of car park where possible and stay out of furrows created by other vehicles. Veer into these and there’s a good chance you are going to require a tow.
Help others
Form a bond with fellow strugglers. If your vehicle is free from trouble but you see a fellow event-goer struggling, do the honourable thing and help them out. Your act of kindness will make their day.
Are you planning to set up a temporary car park?
Unmanageable car park conditions are easy to avoid. If you’re planning to use a grass car park for an event, talk to a member of our team about our aluminium trackway, and we’ll be happy to advise you on how to prevent your car park from becoming a mud bath.
