[font color=\'#000000\']I feel the need to add a couple of observations about gravel roads from my personal experience. I have been competing in navigational road rallysport for well over 15 years in both my own cars and in others' vehicles. The rallies we enter are almost entirely held on gravel roads. I am not talking about off-road 4WD trails but regularly used roads that happen not to be paved. I have NEVER had any damage to any of the vehicles except for one flat about 12 years that was attributed to sharp rocks encountered in a corner. All of the body damage I have sufferred, other than parking lot dings, were from debris on highways, where a little pebble can do a lot of damage when you're travelling at 120 kph. I cannot understand where the paranoia about gravel roads comes from.
I have also acted in an official capacity at many Ontario semi-pro performance rallies that are normally held on rougher roads, eg Ministry forestry roads or private logging roads. Marshals have to drive down those roads before the competitors come through and then back out again once the competitors are done. I have never had any damage doing that either.
Friends of mine have rented cars and trucks in places like Alaska and the Yukon and were told by the rental companies not to use gravel roads. That always seemed silly to me because if you stick to pavement-only roads up there you won't see much. It would ruin the trip for me.
I can understand being obliged to PAY for any damage incurred on a gravel road, assuming you were able to incur some, but to penalize you for simply having gone there, even though you DID NOT damage the vehicle, seems absurd. It could mean that you could never drive yourself to a wilderness park campground, for instance. I wonder how soon my insurance company starts telling me where I am allowed to drive my own personal vehicle, nevermind a rental.[/font]
