Signals

Before you start your offroad trip, it's always good to have a two-minute chat with all drivers to agree on specific signals to be used while driving. For example, you may use the following signals for basics:

• The lead of the convoy will have most of the surprises in the trip where he won't know what's after this dune. If you are a lead, you may do the following while going down a dune just before being unseen by the driver following you:

• Put the flashers on when you notice steep slope or a surprise to warn the driver who follows who also should do the same to the car behind and so on until everyone gets the message.

• Put a signal on to the right or left if you notice a plant, rock, whole, or any other unpleasant surprise to inform the driver behind you about the direction. The signal should be passed on to the last driver.

• If you think you couldn't pass the message yet, you may stop your car a way of the dune peak and give a signal by your hand to the driver who follows who should do the same and so on. Hand signals can be pointing down to say it's a steep slope, pointing to a specific direction, or it might be agreed signals like showing two fingers means a plant is there while showing three fingers means a rock is closing the way! And so on.

• While in the convoy, if you need some help or if you don't see the person behind you then you need to press on the horn to inform the driver ahead of you who should pass the signal as well until it reaches the leader and this should stop the convoy immediately. This forces drivers to keep their windows open to hear the help seeker.

• If there are lots of dust, you may need to turn on the fog light or flashers to be see by followers.

• Always copy the signal from your lead.

Speed

Every car in a convoy should drive on the speed of its successor! If successor is not seen, a signal should be given to the predecessor and the convoy should be stopped.

The convoy should never continue if a car behind is not seen. Why? Simply because if you can see who's behind, this means you are not seen as well. If this happens, no help can be asked from you, and worse than that; the successor may take another track thinking it's yours.

Spaces

Always keep spaces between you and the car in front of you for these reasons.

• The car ahead of you, whether a lead or not, may not pass a specific obstacle and he/she will need to try it again. This will not be possible if another car is closing the way back.

• If you notice the car ahead of you is stuck or is retrying to pass a specific area, give it a space and stop on a slope. You don't want the car to pass and you get stuck because you stopped!

• If a car passes a dune, give it some seconds and then follow it. You don't know where the car is and what it faced!