October 2018
Spotting on a trail.
A spotter’s job can be very important especially on harder trails such as ones around Moab. There are several experienced people in our club that are excellent spotters and don’t be afraid to ask for their help. If you are new to wheeling or don’t have much experience in spotting feel free to hang around one of the more experienced spotters and see what they are doing and seeing. Not only will it help that driver it can help your driving as you can learn where all 4 tires on your Jeep are in relation to an obstacle and how Jeeps handle these spots. Even ask a spotter if you can spot an obstacle and let them evaluate and help you so you learn. Make sure before you tell the driver to move in any direction that all people are away from the Jeep and not under it. We have been doing more night runs lately and it is more difficult to see everyone, make sure the vehicle is clear. Also make sure you have an escape route if anything goes wrong. You will not have but a split second so make sure you are not between the vehicle and a tree or a wall. There was a spotter on Moab Easter Jeep Safari that was ran over a couple years ago because the driver didn’t let off the gas and the spotter had no place to go. He was life flighted out and had about a year of recovery. Please be safe as the action can happen so quickly.