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By
Laws
Vehicle
Recovery Guide
Spotter
Guidlines
Trail
Leader Check Sheet
(printable)
New
England Jeepz Application
(NOW ONLINE!!)
Spotter Guidelines
written
by Robert Gee
Off-road driving
can be a dangerous
sport, improper
use of equipment
and manpower can
cause harm to others
as well as the environment.
While driving off
road drivers must
leverage tools they
have to overcome
obstacles, in this
article we will
discuss proper spotting
technique. Clear
communication and
good spotting creates
a controlled environment
which is as safe
as possible.
Who
is the Spotter
On the trail there
will be many people
yelling directions,
engine noise and
other obstacles.
It is important
for the driver to
pick one spotter.
Good spotters know
that there should
at most be one,
and if they are
not it will stand
aside. Before beginning
to spot anyone a
spotter should find
out if the driver
wants him/her to
be a spotter.
Signals
It is important
that the driver
and spotter have
an agreement on
what signals to
use. Be sure that
everyone is aware
of the signals you
are going to use
before the vehicle
enters the obstacle.
Driver
Autonomy
Picking a line is
always the driver’s
decision, it may
be open for discussion
with the spotter
but ultimately comes
down to the driver.
The spotter’s job
is simply to guide
the driver down
his or her chosen
route, cautioning
the driver if they
are off track or
hitting something.
Disagreements
If the driver feels
that they are not
traveling down the
line he wanted,
or wants to take
a different line,
the spotter should
go over and have
a face to face conversation
about it with the
driver. With background
noise and many people
giving directions
it may get confusing
or tense for the
driver, this is
when bad things
happen. The spotter
should simply go
over and have a
calm face to face
conversation with
the driver, to discuss
further action.
Trust
The Driver must
trust the moves
his or her spotter
is issuing, if this
is not the case
the spotter should
be replaced. A good
spotter should be
able to see this
happening and suggest
a replacement.
Safety
While spotting it
is important to
think about your
own safety as well
as that of the driver.
Never jump on the
vehicle to try and
balance it when
it is at a severe
angle, if assistance
is required you
can attach a strap
to the roll cage
and have someone
hold it. This works
well as you can
easily let go of
a strap in the case
of a rollover.
If
rock stacking is
required, this is
for weenies anyway,
wear gloves and
make sure the driver
knows not to move
the vehicle. Stay
away from areas
which the vehicle
could slide or roll
to.
When
a vehicle becomes
stuck the spotter
is often the closest
and pulls the winch
cable. Winching
is very dangerous
and should have
its own guidelines.
It is important
to wear gloves when
handling winch cable,
wire burrs often
stick out and can
slice into hands
fingers arms etc.
Always use a tree
saver rated higher
than the winch,
with a D-Ring, not
winch hook through
it. Always use a
weight on the line
to drop the cable
to the ground in
the event of breakage.
Have everyone including
yourself stand at
least the length
the cable is out
away. Stand clear
of the cable at
all times when the
winch is in operation
or the line has
tension on it.
Sources:
Dan Stra’s writeup
from Jonfund.com
NEWJO’s Spotter
rules
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