Intimidator 4x4 Utility Vehicles

DUNE DAY vs. DOOMSDAY

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David Jackson | UTV Driving | September 11, 2019

HOW TO SURVIVE THE SAND 

         


Taking your Intimidator UTV on a trail ride is one of the most enjoyable things our customers do! Some of the best experiences are to be found when you’re conquering dunes - an ATV and UTV rider’s paradise. Wide-open land with hill after sandy hill making every ride a thrill and a challenge. They’re beautiful, alluring, and pure wilderness. Even minor discomforts become things to be sought after: the spray of sand in your face, the piles of it built-up in your socks, the wind-driven spindrift. It doesn’t bother you. It’s all fine and perfect because when you’re in the sand, you’re living life.

If you want to keep the dunes free, fun, and accessible for everybody, it’s important to recognize that dunes can be quite dangerous. Too many people just run out to the dunes and act like it’s a free-for-all, and too often people get hurt. We’re here to tell you how to stay safe on the sand. Follow these simple rules, and dune day will be your favorite day. Some of these rules  may be obvious while others are not. Learn them and share them to keep the dunes safe for everybody. 

WHIP LIGHTS AND FLAGS


UTV Flags during the day will allow you to be seen by other riders who might be cresting a dune. This is always important if you don’t want another UTV to land right on top of you. Not to mention, riding without a flag will get you kicked out of most parks and earn you a heavy fine. Whip lights are the best way to make yourself visible after the sun goes down. If you’re lucky enough to ride somewhere that lets you ride at night, you need a pair. Plus, color changing whips are super fun. Just make sure you ask a park official when you need to switch from flags to whip lights as switching too early or too late can get you in trouble. If your whip lights are tall enough, you can also just attach flags directly to them.

FOLLOW THE TRAFFIC
This rule isn’t exactly universal, but if you’re at a park or event with a lot of vehicles, it’s important to go with the flow. Usually popular dunes will gather a crowd on the leeward side (that’s the steep side), and people will take turns riding up and down or up and over. Don’t mess with the system, just follow it. The same goes for areas people use to drag race and paths that cut through brush or trees. With dunes you can’t see as far ahead as you think, so whenever you can go the same direction as everybody else, you’re in for a safer ride.

AGAINST THE WIND
Dunes are made by the wind. Steady wind piles up sand into huge mounds over several years and gives dunes their shape. As a rider, you can take advantage of the way dunes are formed by always riding against the wind.


Four men lifting a UTV that turned over in the sand


This guy didn’t ride against the wind. Dunes always have a gentle slope on the windward side and a steep slump on the leeward side. If you ride with the wind in your face, you’ll ride up the steep leeward side and down the gently sloped windward side. That keeps you from flying off steep, precipitous dunes that you couldn’t see and smashing down hard at the bottom. It also lets you get huge air and make long jumps and still get a smooth landing that’s easy on your suspension (assuming you throttle correctly to keep your machine level). Ride against the wind and you’ll save your spine, your machine, and your dignity. 


USE SPOTTERS

Speaking of catching air over dunes, the safest way to do it is to use a spotter. Have someone park at the top of the dune so they can see riders on both sides and direct traffic. They can let you know when it’s safe to come flying over for some big air. You’ll see plenty of people spotting when you’re at the dunes. Just keep in mind that if you see someone parked at the top of a dune, they’ve probably got friends waiting for the go-ahead to hit the gas. Make sure you give them the space they need, and you can expect the same in return. 


TRANSITION SAFETY

Sometimes you want to get to the other side of a dune and you don’t have a spotter. So how do you get to the other side safely when you can’t see what’s just over the crest? You transition!


A UTV driving performing a proper transition to get to the other side of the dune.


Transitions allow solo riders to get from one side of the dune to the other safely. To do a proper dune transition, you need to drive towards the top of the dune at a shallow angle. That means don’t drive straight to the top. Just before you reach the top of the dune you need to turn so that you’re driving parallel to the ridge. This lets you peak over to spot other riders’ flags and gives them a chance to see yours. When you’re confident that there’s nothing and no one to crash into, you can head over the top and head down. Transitions make it much easier for solo vehicle riders to ride safely in the dunes. 


DUNES AND ICE?
While you won’t see it in places like Glamis, ice can pose real dangers at St. Anthony, Little Sahara, and other dune parks in the center of the continent. But the ice danger in sand isn’t at all like what you see anywhere else, so pay attention. 

After a rain, the top layer of sand can become saturated with water. If it falls below freezing overnight, that layer of wet sand — sometimes several feet thick — can easily freeze giving the dunes a solid crust that you can drive on. The dangerous part comes from the shifting sands underneath that crust. The natural movement of dry sand can lead to large cavities right under your tires. Hit a soft spot in the ice and you could drop three, five, or up to ten feet in some cases. That’s one hard hit that you don’t want. What do you do to stay safe? You wait for the ice to melt. Don’t ride in the dunes while they have a hard, icy crust. 


HELMETS, HARNESSES, BOOZE 

ALWAYS wear a helmet! This should go without saying, but you would be surprised how many people take that risk and don’t wear one. Also, use a four or five-point harness. Stock three-point seatbelts are good for a lot of situations, but if you really want to make sure you stay inside your roll cage   if you wreck, you need to upgrade.

Finally, don’t drink and drive. There are way too many people driving UTVs that think it’s OK to drink and drive. If you get drunk and get behind the wheel, you could kill someone, kill yourself, or, at the very least, get slapped with a hefty fine and spend the night in jail. At the risk of sounding like your friend’s uncool dad, if you see someone drinking and driving at the dunes or anywhere, you should report them. You might just save a life. 


HAVE FUN!

Dunes are crazy fun, incredibly beautiful, and, thanks to a small number of people that don’t understand them, very dangerous. Keep your guard up and don’t make assumptions about what you can’t see. The UTV industry is still relatively new. Intimidator UTV wants you to be safe - not only for your sake, but for those riding with and near you. If we can’t keep ourselves and each other safe, then sooner or later someone’s going to come in and tell you how to ride. And there goes the freedom you loved about the dunes. For more information on owning an Intimidator UTV yourself, give one of our dealers a call today!