Trail Safety

TRAIL SAFETY

                                               Article used from http://www.tds4x4.org/trailesafety.htm
PRE-PLANNING

• Maintain your vehicle in a manner that will minimize trail breakdowns.
• Inspect your vehicle, I can't stress this enough, the time to fix your vehicle is before you're on the trail.
• Know the trail you plan to run. Talk with others that have driven the trail and people that live or work in the area of your trail. 4 wheel drive clubs have a wealth of information about the trails in their areas. The more you know about the trail the better able you are to prepare for it.
• Along with getting to know the trail you are about to run, have a good map of the area
• I am a firm believer in using lists. In planning your trip, use them. And as you make more trips and your experience and knowledge increases, keep adjusting your lists.
• When you plan your food, bring extra in case of an emergency.
• Water, very important, bring lots of it, remember your vehicle may get thirsty too.
• When you get it all planned out, tell someone you trust, of the area you are going and when you plan to return.

THE TRAIL

• Know the limits of your vehicle.
• Tie your gear down. In the event of a roll-over your gear could become deadly missiles.
• Air down your tires. I can't stress this enough, airing down your tires makes for a softer ride and gives your vehicle more traction. You might start out at 15 psi, in deep sand I'll go as low as 8 psi. Whatever tire pressure you are running at, remember to check your tire pressure from time to time. As your tire gets warmer the air pressure in your tire will increase. While you are airing down, this is a good time to do a final inspection of your vehicle.
• Another trick to help out the suspension on your vehicle, is to disconnect your sway bar. This allows for better wheel travel.
• Now that you have everything tied down, your vehicle is ready to go, it's time for you and your passengers to climb aboard and don’t forget to use your seat belts. Remember your roll bar or cage will not protect you if you are not in the vehicle

WATCH THE PERSON BEHIND YOU! You hear it on every run. We all say it and we all forget to do it. It's important for everyone's safety but, there are two sides to the coin. If you are the "person behind", you have an obligation to keep up with the group. If something goes wrong, or you just want to stop; get on the CB, first! Don't just stop and open your hood, or get out and take a picture, or visit the bushes, while the club continues out of CB range.There are also exceptions to the "keep them insight'' rule. For one, it's not always possible on twisty winding trails. And, it can be dangerous to follow too close, particularly on hills.

Also, there are many times when there is only one way to go, like in a canyon, or on a long straight desert road. However; there is one situation when each driver should absolutely stop and wait for the person behind to catch up: that is at forks, turns, crossroads or any other place where there might be more than one way to go. Just saying ''left at the fork" on the CB doesn't guarantee that everyone knows which way to go.

Sometimes people aren't paying attention, or can't hear because of motor noise (or passenger noise), or they are on the wrong channel, or their CB isn't working, or...Stop And Wait At All Turns! Tail End Charlie is a place most of us don't want to be. With respect to safety, it is as important as the Trail Boss at the front. It is Tail End Charlie's job to assure that everyone is in their vehicle and ready to go when the Trail Boss says "lets go." He is also responsible for keeping the Trail Boss informed of breakdowns or other delays. In short: keep up with the group, use your CB stop and wait at all turns, use common sense to prevent needless delays, and.....

WATCH THE PERSON BEHIND YOU! 

TRAIL HAZARDS
Driving off road isn't about going fast. Don't believe some of the TV commercials where they show this stock off road vehicle blasting through everything. Remember the slower you drive the more in control you are and the safer your trip will be.Be in the habit of looking ahead while you're on the trail. Try to remember the lower components of your vehicle, and drive to protect them. If you're not sure what's up ahead don't be afraid to get out of your vehicle and check it out on foot. It's wiser to look before you leap.Another good habit to get into is to drive with your thumbs up and out of your steering wheel.

This is to protect them in case your steering wheel spins when you hit an obstacle with your front tires.When on the trail with others enter tough spots one vehicle at a time and don't crowd the vehicle ahead of you especially on hills incase the one in front of you doesn't make it to the top. Remember when traveling in a group always keep the vehicle behind you in sight at all times to keep vehicles from getting lost.Having large rocks on the trail is one of those hazards where you need to take things very, very slow.

Rocks are very unforgiving. A slow steady pace is best and remember it's far better to place your tires on top of the rocks than it is to straddle them. this is a very good time to use a spotter to help you over the rocks. a good spotter is worth his or her weight in gold. I've heard the use of a little brake fluid wiped over the side walls of your tires helps protect them from the sharp edges of the rocks. Remember slow is the word when it comes to rocks. That's why they call it rock crawling.

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