Planning a trip to outback Queensland?

Charleville Police District covers highways and roads over a huge area of outback Queensland. The District stretches from Morven in the east, Cunnamulla in the south, and the towns of Eulo, Hungerford, Thargomindah, Quilpie, Adavale and Eromanga in the south west. The major service and tourist town of Charleville is located in the middle of the police district at the junction of the Mitchell and Warrego Highways. The towns of Augathella and Tambo are located on the northern edge at the gateway to Western Queensland and beyond the black stump.

A key priority for Charleville Police District is to increase road safety for drivers and their passengers travelling on our roads. The Stay On Track Outback road safety initiative aims to provide visitors with important road safety tips and useful travel information when driving on the highways and roads of the outback.

You may be a young person who has just obtained a driver licence and on your first ever road trip, a family heading off for a 4WD outback camping holiday, or you have driven for many years and are now finally enjoying the trip of a lifetime with a new caravan or RV. Whoever you are, driving on our outback roads poses hazards and conditions you may never have encountered before. These unique conditions make the trip truly special and memorable, but to Stay On Track Outback when driving, special attention needs to be given to:

§ Drive to road conditions – road conditions and quality can change quickly with hazards like soft edges, road works and surfaces changing from bitumen to gravel and narrowing from dual lane to single lane roads.

§ Remember the Fatal Four – obey the speed limit, don’t drink and drive, wear your seatbelt and rest regularly to avoid fatigue.

§ Take care when towing – towing a camper trailer or caravan on outback roads can be challenging, particularly with varying road conditions and when passing or overtaking heavy vehicles.

§ Watch out for wildlife and livestock on the road – wildlife and livestock often cross or graze near the edge of roads. Avoid driving at night or at dusk or dawn - don’t end your trip by swerving to avoid or colliding with wildlife or livestock.

§ Share the road safely with heavy vehicles – when a road train is coming towards you on a single lane road, avoid stone damage to your windscreen by slowing down and moving over to the left, or pull over and stop to give the road train the room it needs on the bitumen. When a wide load is coming towards you, slow down and find a safe spot to move off the road and stop to allow the load safely past you. Listen to UHF Channel 40 for instructions from the pilot vehicle or driver.