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Environment
Be aware of the damage you and your vehicle can do
to the environment. A large, powerful vehicle can
easily destroy bogs, trees, grasses and pretty much
any other flora which gets in front
of it. Too many areas of North America are being placed
under protection for any of us to take the attitude
that we can do what we want off road. Use common sense
and respect the area you are in - it'll go a long
way to keeping that area open for future visits.
Trails
Don't blaze a new trail. Instead, stay on the established
path. Don't blaze a new trail just because you can.
That's a sure recipe to get more land closed to our
sport. Your
heavy rig can damage the ground and embankments by
leaving ruts that will deepen and erode with each
passing rain. Dragging your 4x4 through uncharted
territory is a certain way to sustain damage...maybe
even enough to leave you stranded. And while you're
stranded, Johnny Law may happen upon you and leave
you with a hefty fine.
Trash
Don't litter - ever. Not cigarettes, sandwich wrap...nothing.
Pack out more than you packed in.
Spinning
Don't intentionally spin your tires and tear up the
soil - it breaks the surface crust and leads to erosion
when it rains. You might think it's cool to shoot rooster
tails of mud in the air, but sudden traction can quickly
result in broken parts...and it is detroying the environment
you hope to visit again in the future.
Rocks
Should you need to pile stones up to get over an obstacle,
then be sure to put the stones back where you found
them afterwards. Many people enjoy the challenge as
nature intended...not as you needed it to be to get
over it. Remember - every time you move a rock, you've
potentially detroyed part of an established eco-system.
Tricks
Leave your ego at home. Every vehicle (and driver,
for that matter) has its limitations. Backing off
early and accepting that a maneuver is impossible
or choosing another approach may prevent vehicle damage
and, more important, personal injury. Never try a
maneuver that you are uncomfortable with. Don't worry
about folks who try to get you to do things. They
just want a show - don't be the showman.
Wildlife
Try not to disturb the wildlife. They're not used
to our rigs in their territory and will sometimes
come to see what the noise is. Give all wildlife a
wide berth, and if need be, stop and turn off your
rig until the animal(s) leave the area. Don't try
to follow them - this is their turf and if they feel
threatened, they can easily turn on you. Just enjoy
the fact you actually saw something in it's natural
habitat.
Speed
Slow down. Enjoy the scenery. Live the experience
to the fullest. You don't want to spend time repairing
damage you wouldn't have caused had you driven a little
slower. Hitting standing water at speed is a sure
way to drown under-hood electronics, not to mention
it's damaging to the environment.
Passing
Just as on the street, you should stay right to avoid
oncoming traffic, if you can. If common sense tells
you it's safer to move left instead of right, then
do so. If there is only room for one vehicle to pass,
the rule is the more maneuverable vehicle, or the
more experienced driver, should yield the right-of-way.
When
two vehicles meet on a grade and there isn't a safe
place to pull over, the vehicle traveling uphill has
the right of way. It is safer for the vehicle traveling
downhill to back up, and it will be much easier for
the downhill vehicle to get under way.
At no time should you intentionally drive off the
trail to cut a way around another vehicle. Both vehicles
should move to another area, when feasible, to make
passing safe and easy.
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