Australian driving / routing site that understands dirt / un-made roads?
Inspired by an episode of the TV show Queensland Weekender, we were pondering taking a "quick" trip out to Outback Queensland in Australia. We tapped the proposed destination into the Google Maps route planner, liked what we saw, and prepared to book some accommodation at our destination. Then luckily an Aussie friend saw what we were trying to do... Apparently Google Maps doesn't understand about un-made / dirt roads, not least the car-hire / rental-car insurance implications, not the fact that our "short" drive would be longer than expected as there's no way we'd be meeting the average speeds on dirt that it predicted...
Before I make another similar mistake, I was wondering - are there any online route planners for Australia that understand the difference between paved / tarmac'd / asphalt and un-made / dirt roads?
Both so that on this trip with a "basic" hire car I can avoid them, and on a possible future trip with a 4x4 car so I can properly esimate travel time + necessary safety extra provisions?
Best Answer
Yes, but not great.
OpenStreetMap has surface information for roads and doing a quick survey of other known roads suggests it's moderately accurate, but there is no guarantee it is correct.
Case in point for a recent trip of mine - Wolgan Road has a surface listed as "unpaved". The majority of this road is actually paved, and only the last 9 km is unpaved.
To retrieve this information, find the road of interest, right click and choose "Query features". Select the road's name from the list that appears and it will have a property of "surface" to review.
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How do you get no dirt roads on Google Maps?
Basically in Google MapMaker you have to go into Advanced browse and then specify 3 attributes:Does Google Maps use dirt roads?
Google Maps does not have a built-in option to avoid dirt roads, the same way you can avoid toll roads, for example.How do you find dirt roads on Google Maps?
Accelerate and brake slowly and reduce your speed when approaching intersections, curves and hills. Always drive at a speed that allows you to stop easily for any hazard. Be considerate, too. As you approach other vehicles, slow down and move over to the right so you can pass each other safely.How to Dirt Road Driving | 4X4 Australia
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Daniel, Pixabay, Süleyman Şahan, Tobit Nazar Nieto Hernandez