Safety is a priority

Dear Members,

I am writing this post due to safety procedures which needs to be followed by all members of this group. As a Deputy of the club, it is part of my responsibility to fulfill this role.

Whenever a member signs up for a drive, the first post always mentions “Please read the Driving in a convoy – Rules & Roles” which most of us tend to ignore, else we read it and just think we don’t require to follow those as “WE” know what we are doing. I have listed a few points from the post and have also added a few more to them.

What I am going to mention below is what I have witnessed during the past few drives and what needs to be done.

If any Marshal/Founder feels any of the points below needs to be removed, I shall happily oblige. 🙂

– Every member of a convoy has their role from the lead to the sweep/deputy.
– Every club has rules and our club is not different. The club has certain rules and these need to be followed by all members who are part of this club.
– During a drive, the lead marshal allocates the positions of all convoy vehicles and this needs to be kept until the end of the drive. This is mainly to ensure that you know the car behind you and will be able to advise if you are unable to see it. This way, no one is left behind
– RECOVERY: Unless instructed by the Marshal(lead) / Sweep / Deputy, please DO NOT interfere with any recovery processes. The Marshal/Deputy/Sweep will do the needful.
– If the vehicle ahead of you is stuck or having a problem, just stop and wait for the Marshal/Deputy/Sweep to perform the recovery and then continue once the vehicle ahead of you is ready and moving.
– During a recovery, please ensure to keep the area clear of cars and stop in your position, this way the recovery could be done safely and in a quick manner. Avoid driving around.
– When a member is having a second try, just stop and let the member attempt again. There is NO NEED to overtake or pass by the vehicle taking a second try, as this could lead to a situation which was not required.
– Radio communication is a must to advise of second attempts or any other issues. This helps in keeping the lead/sweep informed of the situation and the convoy can be slowed down or stopped for all to regroup.
– If you are attempting a second try, go around and try it again. DO NOT take your own track and join the convoy from ahead or just cut in between. If you feel you cannot get through that obstacle, STOP and communicate with the Marshal/Deputy/Sweep and you will be guided using any other path.
– During a break/recovery, it is very tempting to play around. Unless the area is announced by the marshals as a ‘Play Area’ such as Iftaar bowl/ Super bowl etc. DO NOT play around.
– Safe Distance: Always maintain the safe distance of about 4-7 cars space between you and the vehicle ahead depending on the pace of the drive. If you notice a steep incline/ bowl ahead, slow down or stop till the vehicle ahead clears the incline/bowl. Following a vehicle on that incline/bowl could lead to a situation if the vehicle ahead is unable to make it up/out.
– Big distance: Avoid bigger distances between vehicles. This could break the convoy and could result in the convoy losing the path.
– Vision: A good distance ensures better vision on the car ahead. This helps you know how the vehicle passes over the crest and you could adjust accordingly.
– Follow the path: Always follow the path of the lead vehicle. Unless advised, DO NOT deviate. You could find it easier to get through your own made track but the following car might find it difficult and that would go for all the other cars behind you.

These are just a few main points raised. Feel free to add more if you would like to.

One thing that I still remember when I started off-roading was when someone told me “When you come in here…. Leave your EGO out (of the desert)” ….. Remember….. We are not better than the other member. We all started from scratch and have moved up… Yet, we are all ONE and not better than the other.

Lets all have fun every week with safety being the first priority.