The wide-open desert is the perfect playground for off-roaders but there are a few things to bear in mind when venturing into the dunes as part of a group for the first time.<\/p>\n
Pacing and spacing is the subject of the fourth episode of Ford\u2019s Desert Driving Tips series \u2013 and mastering both will make your desert drive a lot more relaxed and enjoyable.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe spacing in front of you and behind you is important,\u201d explains Mike Chavez, series co-host and Ford Middle East Product Development Lead Technologist. \u201cYou can fall back and catch up, but maintain a safe distance between your car and the vehicle in front.\u201d<\/p>\n
Determining just how much space to leave will come with experience \u2013 but a good rule of thumb is to ensure you can stop safely should the car up ahead suddenly stop moving, or get stuck. Crowding the car in front will often limit your options and may even lead to you getting stuck too.<\/p>\n
There are points at which you need to remain vigilant, particularly when the convoy slows to clear an obstacle or the crest of a dune. Be prepared to stop and wait for your turn.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s too crowded, there\u2019s a possibility of coming over a dune and seeing that someone hasn\u2019t cleared it fully,\u201d Chavez explained. \u201cNot all dunes are flat on the other side – some of them are quite big and you want to allow time for the car up ahead to get clear. You\u2019re going to want to watch their flag or watch to see where it pops up again. Once you see the flag again, that gives you a good idea where they are, and that they\u2019re safely out of the way and that you can proceed forward and not have any incidents.\u201d<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s tempting to hit the dunes with lots of speed and enthusiasm, it\u2019s best to take a measured approach to avoid any damage to your car.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe speed that you will want to maintain will vary on how soft the sand is: the softer, the sand, the more momentum you\u2019ll have to carry to help keep the car moving forward without it bogging down and getting stuck. If you\u2019re on firmer sand, you can slow those speeds down and enjoy the view and have a safe and enjoyable time out here in the desert,\u201d Chavez said.<\/p>\n
You can watch the latest episode in Ford\u2019s Desert Driving tips series by clicking here, or the entire series to date by clicking this link.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The wide-open desert is the perfect playground for off-roaders but there are a few things to bear in mind when venturing into the dunes as part of a group for the first time. Pacing and spacing is the subject of the fourth episode of Ford\u2019s Desert Driving Tips series \u2013 and mastering both will make […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":9208,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"1","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_pr_autopilot_social_copy":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph_description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph_image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph_image_id":0,"_yoast_wpseo_twitter_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter_description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter_image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter_image_id":0,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":0,"_extra_hide_author_box":"","_extra_featured_post":"","_partner_post_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-automotive","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n