Deadly Mistakes Series
A Difficult Extraction
Last Updated (Tuesday, 13 May 2008 10:39) Written by Tom Severin Tuesday, 13 May 2008 10:34
It was a wet Sunday in March. From time to time snow squalls would blow through coating the vehicles but melting as soon as it toughed the ground. Occasionally the sun would peek out. Normally hard-baked clay trails with traction like slick rock had become slick and greasy. I had been picking the more sandy trails for my class of new enthusiasts. It was about 3:45 PM and I had just shifted to 2WD in preparation to lead the beginning class out of the Park when the last vehicle in our group was intercepted by a vehicle looking for help. A Toyota land cruiser had flipped over. Fortunately no one was injured.
Hanging on Vehicles
Last Updated (Tuesday, 13 May 2008 10:39) Written by Administrator Tuesday, 13 May 2008 10:29
One of our beliefs is relying on your normal instinct to cope with off-road situations is generally wrong. You have to learn a new set of behaviors. We see it time & again: people instinctively grab onto or jump onto a vehicle to prevent it tipping or rolling over.
Fatigue is Nothing to Yawn At
Last Updated (Tuesday, 13 May 2008 10:28) Written by Tom Severin Tuesday, 13 May 2008 10:22
My Sand Clinic on Aug. 18 reminded me of a very important fact: fatigue is common in off-road driving and must be taken seriously.
The clinic was designed to last several hours longer, but by 2:30 I could tell the drivers were bushed, so I called it quits. Better that than to risk damage to vehicle or, worse, injury.
Don't Lose Your Head While Recovering A Vehicle
Last Updated (Tuesday, 13 May 2008 10:27) Written by Tom Severin Tuesday, 15 April 2008 14:16
If there's one maxim that applies to 4-wheeling regardless of where you ride and under what conditions it is this: There is no substitute for safety. In many instances the margin for error is slim.
One of the more dangerous situations arises when a vehicle is stuck. Even if the vehicle is upright and on stable ground, you still must use the proper equipment and technique. One mistake, and someone could get killed. It's happened a couple times in the past few years, and the lessons learned from these sad incidents should serve as a wake-up call to anyone who drives off road. Both incidents, coincidently, occurred in Michigan, but they could've happened anywhere.
