Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/11/07/man-immediately-regrets-drivin.html
…
5 Likes
Not “gentleman?”
12 Likes
I thought the Volvo xc lineup was all AWD?
1 Like
Perhaps the tires were still at standard pressure and even with AWD he couldn’t get any traction.
Typically one should go apprx 2/3 down from your tire’s standard pressure when driving on sand.
15 Likes
Or…ya know…not drive on a sandy beach 
21 Likes
I think that’s a V40 (not sold in the US as far as I know).
3 Likes
I don’t get it. I was expecting them to tear off the rear bumper or something. He just got a ticket?
2 Likes
Maybe he should have filled his tires with water?
3 Likes
Yep - my brothers always let the air down in their jeeps and trucks before going into the dunes - and carried an air pump to reiniflate afterwards.
4 Likes
How to recognize speech.
4 Likes
I mean, if you’re not driving on the road, is it truly illegal?
All wheel drive is nowhere near adequate for driving on beaches.
I live surrounded by beaches, and we spent a lot of time fishing, clamming and trailer camping on outer beaches. My folks still spend most of the summer living in a camper on a beach. Our State requires a permit to bring a vehicle on a beach, and access is limited to full on four wheel drive and at least one solid axel.
But a lot of people don’t understand or believe that. Pretty much any time we’re out at one of those beaches you get people who ignore all the posted warnings and permit only signs and go for a ride on the beach (including beaches you aren’t allowed to drive on or in protected dunes).
We’ve helped dig and tow out Subarus, all wheel drive BMWs, vintage Cadillacs, Priuses, lots of all wheel drive Volvos. Including AWD cars with off road tires and/or lifts. The two most often heard reasons people thought they could handle the beach are “but I’ve got all wheel drive” and “but I’ve got a v8”.
It happens often enough some of the towns here have started billing those folks for the costs of their rescue and any repairs that need to be made to protected areas.
6 Likes
Not just beaches. Here in Oldham, Manchester ( the WET side of the Pennines) the ground can be pretty marshy. It’s especially marshy in a plot of open ground called “Ashfield” (there used to be a house called “the Ashes” there three hundred years ago). Some time back they drained half the ground to make a Soccer pitch, but left the rest as was. (Marshy). Two Christmases ago, some dolt decided to take a shortcut across Ashfield. Guess how that turned out.
2 Likes
Especially when you’ve got no insurance and no license!
3 Likes
24 years ago right about now, Mrs. Hungryjoe and I (teenagers at the time) drove my station wagon out to the lake for some quality time. As I was pulling up, I drove too close to the water and sank up to my axles in the mud. Then I spent about two hours rocking it back and forth, cutting the wheels back and forth, bouncing on the bumper, trying to cram brush under the tires, etc. Finally the two of us walked half a mile back up this dirt road to some guy’s trailer. I remember he answered the door in his underwear. Anyway, we hopped in his truck and went down and he pulled me out.
I expect now that if I knocked on that trailer door at 11:30 at night on that back road in Texas, someone would shoot me through the door.
3 Likes
Depending on year and model, even if it’s AWD, it might be a Haldex system. Volvo’s Haldex AWD is front-wheel drive-based and is not so much AWD as FWD with part-time rear assist. Take a Subaru, BMW, or Audi onto a roller ramp and they will climb it as long as two front tires or one rear tire are on solid surface. A Volvo won’t get past the first roller.
4 Likes
Driving on beach, not so smart.
Getting stuck and calling the cops when you don’t have license or insurance…yeah, that is just asinine.
3 Likes
This is true. My Subie Impreza with studded snows could climb a steep hill (my driveway) covered in 12 inches of wet powder with no difficulty. I was sad to give up that car.
1 Like
Sorry, but there’s a lot wrong with your assessment.
One of the most capable vehicles in the world is the Land Rover, and that’s an AWD system. They like to call it 4WD, but it’s really a full-time AWD system just like Subaru and Audi. Some LRs have locking rear diffs that can be engaged, and you can add on aftermarket front diffs, but even without locking diffs LRs are going to outperform any pickup truck with dedicated 4wd on any surface.
Check out the videos from Australia where guys take LR Discovery 4s (LR4) and Range Rovers straight off the dealer lot, add decent AT tires, and drive all the way up the Cape York Peninsula.
2 Likes
You’re still talking about dedicated off roading equipment. Your standard AWD is not that. I fully understand that there are ways to make it work, and forms of all wheel drive that exceed the capabilities of what we commonly refer to as all wheel drive.
But I’ve seen it happen.
Driving on soft sand is not regular offroading. And driving on beaches is quite a bit different than sand in general. People who spend lots of time driving on beaches here don’t use Land Rovers, and I’m not even sure they qualify for the permit. Now obviously there are beaches and sections of beach where there’s s firmly compacted or wet enough (without being too wet) sand for all sorts of vehicles to get up on there. None of means an all wheel drive Volvo isn’t gonna bog down immediately on your typical beach.
