Topic: Rules For Spotters, Drivers and Spectators

[Rocksurfer]

We've been doing some house cleaning on the Spinnin' Fours bb and I found this gem, I thought it a very good article. It was on Cal4wheels originally...

This article was published in The In Gear, I thought it made some good points and also made me think about some of the things that happen when the trail gets tough. I have definatly found that without thinking about it, I have done some of the things here and shouldn't have. After reading this all input I will give in a spotting situation will be to the spotter and not to the driver unless I see something happening that is really bad (like when I bent my steering rod and Wilson stopped us becuase he saw it bending and Mark didn't as he was spotting me). The one thing that impressed me was when you are not the spotter keep your mouth shut unless you see something bad or have a suggestion for the spotter. Well here's the article for you to read:

Rules For Great Spotters, Drivers and Spectators

by Dan Stra

There are a lot of fine points to the art of spotting. Great spotting - truly refined expertise in this area - is something that takes a lot of time and experience to learn. This experience comes only from watching others and trying to apply what you have learned.
I would like to suggest a few things that all spotters should know that pave the way for a safer and more enjoyable trail experience for you and the driver.
Drivers too should be as knowledgeable about basic rules of spotting as the spotters are. Drivers have a diffferent set of spotting rules to follow, but the rules for drivers are just as important as the rules for spotters. When both sides follow the rules, the trail becomes a much smoother place.
(Note to the would-be spotter: Reading this article does not make you a spotter. It is designed to help you understand the dynamics of spotting more fully. You will have a better experience when you are on the trails if you acknowledge the hierarchy and organization of a run and blend in with their procedures.)

SUGGESTED RULES FOR SPOTTERS

Rule Number One
The first rule of all great spotters is this.... A good spotter will always look for another person who is already spotting the driver and will then do nothing but wait to be asked for help.
Virtually everyone on a club run can, and should when needed, be a spotter; but only if they are all reminded of that rule. Following the Spotting Rule #1 will keepthings a lot more organized than those unruly times when everyone is yelling directions and confusing the poor driver.

Rule Number Two
This could be rule #1, it is a toss-up. The only rule I see broken more than rule #1. It seems  like we frequently forget or don't bother to ask the driver if he/she would like to have a spot. There are many drivers who will know their rig well enough to be able to just know wherer the difficulties are. Then there are folks who just don't want to have a spotter. Rule #2 is......
A good spotter will always ask the driver if he/she would like to have a spot before he starts issuing signals.
The is a golden rule. Never break it.

Rule Number Three
A good spotter knows that there will alway be others yelling directions from the trail side and he knows that there will always be a newer driver who finds that confusing. This being the case, rule #3 of great spotting is.....
 Create a bond with the driver. Make sure the driver is locked on to you and only you.
 This is done by taking the time to walk up to the driver and having a short driver chat: "Hey, I am going to spot you through this. I want you to focus on me and tune everyone else out. Okay?"
It is funny but scuba dive instructors do something very similar to this when bringing a student down underwater for the first time. They use two fingers in the shape of a V and move them from their eyes toward yours while locking in your gaze to theirs. They have learned that doing so actually helps a new diver get through the initial anxiety of being underwater and helps them to not reflexively hyperventilate.
Creating a bond with the driver goes a long way to help him get through those times when there are a lot of people trying to spot. It helps him block out distractions and it places you as the point person.

Rule Number Four
When wer are four wheeling there is a lot going on. There is engine noise, other vehicles moving around, and people talking. Additionally, the distance between the spotter and the driver in the middle of an obstacle make verbal signals not always the mosts effective way to communicate.
With that in mind, rule #4 of great spotting is.....
 A great spotter will make sure that the driver understands and agrees to the hand signals.
Here are a few examples of frequently used hand signals:

STOP: Use a closed fist for a stop.

 TURN RIGHT OR LEFT: Point with the index finger or (or thumb) to the left or the right when you want the driver to turn the wheeland , if he is not turning far enough we point and push the finger in that direction at the same time.

ADVANCE: Extend an open hand so that the palm is facing AWAY from the driver, then we fold the thumb in so that it is not confused as a directional signal, and keeping the fingers together we wave the fingers inward in a repeating manner.

REVERSE: Using one or both open palms, FACING the driver, we make a pushing motion in a repeating manner. When doing reverse we may go to the back of the vehicle to help the driver back up safely.
COMBINATIONS: use one hand for directional signal and the other for motion. To get the driver to turn the wheels without moving simply hold up one closed fist and use the other hand to point. To signal movement keep the directional finger pointing but open the closed fist to signal the direction you want.


RULES FOR DRIVERS

Drivers can have a huge part in how organized or disorganized spotting is done around his vehicle. Oddly enough, drivers can do a lot to encourage great spotting. In fact, when a driver knows great spotting he can do certain things that can force a spotter to follow the rules without ever saying a word.

Driver Rule Number One
Weather or not he will be spotted is up to the driver and the driver should be the one who decides if he wants a spot or not. Drivers rule #1 is.....
Ask for a spot or specify that you do not want a spot.
If you do NOT want a spot it is sometimes helpful to say it loud enough to be heard over all the noise of the run (or really to make sure everyone hears you).
Rule #1 is subject to your acknowlging the hierarchy of the group. This means that there may be times when you don't want a spot but someone in leadership in the group feels the need to keep things moving for the sake of time aor other reasons. When that happens it is usually best just to go with the flow.

Driver Rule Number Two
The spotter may not instinctively know that if he stops moving you should stop moving. In fact, he may even ask you why you stopped. Here rule #2 comes in.....
If spotter is not moving or directing you in some way then don't move. It should always be like this... if the spotter stops directing, you stop moving.

Driver Rule Number Three
In the event that your spotter does not practice Spotter Rule #3
-the rule about creating a bond
-then the driver can make it happen all by himself, Driver rule #3 is....
Lock onto your spotter and tune everyone else out.
This accomplishes another effect. With the driver and the spotter visually locked together, observers (would-be spotters) quickly learn that you are not listening to them; you are listening to the spotter. Once they catch on to this they will start yelling at the spotter and not at you.

In Summary
A lot of these spotting issues would not need to be brought up if more folks just focused on watching the spotter and learning from his or her techniques. Sometimes it would also help if we had less heckling and helpful onlookers. But part of our sport is the group enjoyment of the adventures of others. So we have to overcome that in order to prevent vehicle damage and unnecessary trail delays. Observing these rules is the first step. Fortunately, it is a lot easier to teach drivers how to to spotters and to teach spotters how to get drivers to focus on them that it is to teach every person on every trail run to not try to help with spotting. It is just human nature to help out. Non-spotters, are you getting the message here?
This being the case, our expectations of spotters and drivers needs to be set correctly. When both the driver AND th spotter are on the same page all the yelling in the world won't make a darn bit of difference.

Dan Stra is the President and founder of the JonFund 4X4 Club and Membership Chairperson of the Northeast Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs. He has been into off-roading in one form or another for over seven years. Comments should be addressed to jonfund@jonfund.com.

[BLACKDOG]

nice one.

[KYOTA]

spotters are overrated 

[boggerunner]

is there a certification test to betaken before spotting?
i do like the rule  to ask the driver if he wants a spotter, ive been in the situation where i didnt want one, and i didnt listen to him, and he got pissed.  spotters are comps, not trail rides.

[TacoRunner]

I disagree with driver rule two

Kyota you have not had a good spotter than

spotters are overrated 

[Snowtoy]

I would say that the first part of Driver rule 2 is wrong, the spotter and driver should both understand that the spotter is actually driving the vehicle remotely through the driver.  Once a spotter is asked for, the driver becomes nothing more than a trained chimp behind the wheel, and if the spotter wants the driver to continue he should tell him such.  This why the trust issue becomes so important, so that the driver doesn't act on their own, while being spotted.

A couple other rules should be added, such as always have eye contact between the spotter and the driver, and the spotter is in charge of what is going on around the vehicle.

More often than not using a spotter on the trail would lead to far less trail side repairs and stoppage of traffic.

[TacoRunner]

I would say that the first part of Driver rule 2 is wrong, the spotter and driver should both understand that the spotter is actually driving the vehicle remotely through the driver.  Once a spotter is asked for, the driver becomes nothing more than a trained chimp behind the wheel, and if the spotter wants the driver to continue he should tell him such.  This why the trust issue becomes so important, so that the driver doesn't act on their own, while being spotted.

A couple other rules should be added, such as always have eye contact between the spotter and the driver, and the spotter is in charge of what is going on around the vehicle.

More often than not using a spotter on the trail would lead to far less trail side repairs and stoppage of traffic.

Yep I cant really argue with any of that.

[Rocksurfer [OP]]

I would say that the first part of Driver rule 2 is wrong, the spotter and driver should both understand that the spotter is actually driving the vehicle remotely through the driver.  Once a spotter is asked for, the driver becomes nothing more than a trained chimp behind the wheel, and if the spotter wants the driver to continue he should tell him such.  This why the trust issue becomes so important, so that the driver doesn't act on their own, while being spotted.

A couple other rules should be added, such as always have eye contact between the spotter and the driver, and the spotter is in charge of what is going on around the vehicle.

More often than not using a spotter on the trail would lead to far less trail side repairs and stoppage of traffic.

Actually it would be a joint effort, the spotter can see where the truck should not go and direct the driver away from what could become a bad situation. Meanwhile the driver is not just a chimp following directions, the driver is dealing with the feel of what is going on and giving that input to the spotter. A good combination of driver and spotter can keep a rig from rolling, damage and breakage. Sometimes the only purpose of the spotter is to see how the vehicle reacts to angles keeping the rig from tipping while the drivers feel of what is going on can do the same.

I've also noticed that even a good driver and spotter of a specific rig has trouble spotting a different type of rig. A good example would be Jeep's and Toyota's, over the same terrain both react differently to different angles. I've watch a Toyota climb a section and a Jeep try the same section the same way and run into trouble. In fact the only damage I ever got on my 4Runner came from a Jeep guys direction. He even apologized saying that if I were driving a Jeep that line was good. I then backed up and took the line I thought would be good and trucked right through.   

[Snowtoy]

^^Agree/disagree, it all depends on the situation the spotting calls for.  If it is just a general clearance spot then yes some input from the driver may be acceptable, but if it is a difficult section the only input needed is from the spotter.  I have always spotted and been potted as having the spotter in complete control from outside the rig, this prevents any of the second guessing by the driver.  There isn't anything I hate more than spotting someone who either doesn't trust me, or halfway through decides he doesn't need a spotter anymore.  Trust is the biggest issue, and how much there is between spotter and driver really depends on how long the two have wheeled together.

I've also noticed that even a good driver and spotter of a specific rig has trouble spotting a different type of rig. A good example would be Jeep's and Toyota's, over the same terrain both react differently to different angles. I've watch a Toyota climb a section and a Jeep try the same section the same way and run into trouble. In fact the only damage I ever got on my 4Runner came from a Jeep guys direction. He even apologized saying that if I were driving a Jeep that line was good. I then backed up and took the line I thought would be good and trucked right through.

Completely agree here, even one Toy to another reacts differently.  This is why you should wheel w/the same people all the time, so you get accustomed to their rigs and they to you as a spotter.

[Rocksurfer [OP]]

Totally agree with the trust in a spotter, which I think is what comes first there are guys I know that I would wear a blindfold and allow them to spot me then there are others that if they were the only person there to spot me I'd do it on my own.

[Rocksurfer [OP]]

I thought I'd bring this back up to the top for everyone.

[H8PVMNT]

Haha, I think we've all suffered from the to many spotters effect at one tim eor another...

[junya92toy]

THis is knda like being in a shop using overhead cranes. The man with the controls, should pick one person to listen to, and only one. All other info  is relayed to that one person.