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Safety Aspects - Staggered Riding System - Second Man Drop Off

Easily Explained!

 

To some Chapter members this may be 'teaching you to suck eggs' as they say. This document is not aimed at you but to the other more in-experienced members unfamiliar with the group riding experience.

Safety Aspects

Almost eveything today is governed by one set of rules or another, riding a motorcycle at any Wolfruna Chapter event is no different.

The 'golden rule' is that it is your responsibility as a rider to ride safely and in accordance with the relevant road conditions and laws / restrictions applicable to the carriageway that you are riding upon.

It is also your responsibility to ensure that your motorcycle is roadworthy and that you have the necessary documentation applicable to your machine i.e Driving Licence, MOT certificate, Insurance certificate etc.

Staggered Riding System

Its a fantastic sight whilst at the back of a pack of Harley Davidson Motorcycles to see them in an organised group. It looks professional and reflects upon the reputation of the Chaper. The staggered riding system gives proof to the pudding.

The system itself is easy and there are some things that should not be done i.e. having bikes in all three lanes of a motorway or both lanes of a dual carriageway for no reason whatsoever.

The lead Road Captain will at all times need to overtake on dual carriageways / motorways and just because he/she pulls out into the outside lane to overtake it does not mean that the rest of the pack has to pull out into the outside lane at the same time. This causes traffic congestion and can be dangerous as frustrated car / lorry drivers will then atempt to use the inside lane as a means to overtake. You should wait in the nearside lane until you personally encounter the obstruction, then overtake and join the rest of the pack in the nearside lane.

Here is a diagam of the Staggered Riding System

 

 

The Lead Road Captain will be in the centre of the carriage way wearing a High Visibility Vest. No rider should overtake the lead Road Capain.

The 'Second Man' will be behind the Lead Road Capain. It matters not if the 'Second Man' is to the left or the right behind the Road Captain and once the 'Second Man' has been dropped off at a junction there is no need for the new 'Second Man' to move postion over to the left. All you have to remember is that you will be positioned behind the rider in front and either to their left or right. You can then maintain this position for the duration of the ride-out.

THERE IS NO NEED TO MOVE OVER TO THE LEFT BEHIND THE LEAD ROAD CAPTAIN.

The 'Sweeper' will be at the back of the pack wearing a High Visibility Vest and will indicate to the dropped off person when they should rejoin the pack.

When the 'Second Man' has been dropped off at a junction the person who was behind him/her will maintain their position but now be behind the Lead Road Captain. The rest of the pack will remian in their respective positions.

 

Second Man Drop Off

Second Man Drop Off' is a means of indicating the route that the ride out is following. Consider it to be like a directional arrow on a road sign with the sign being replaced by a rider and machine.

The sequence is very simple. The rider behind the Lead Road Captain will be dropped off as indicated on the 'Staggered Riding' diagram.

The Lead Road Captain will half raise their arm to give warning that a drop off is about to take place. The Road Captain will then point to the exact spot that they want the 'Second Man' to stop. You should not carry on past this point as you may become out of view to the rest of the pack following behind. The only time that you should move on furter than the indicated spot is when an element of danger arises and you need to distance youself from it for personal safety reasons. If you should have to do this then remember that you still have to be seen by the rest of the riders coming from behind or the system will not be effective.

You will remain at the appointed spot until the 'Sweeper' indicates to you that you may re-join the main group (usually a 'thumbs up' sign). The 'Sweeper' will then slow slightly and move to the inside of the carriageway enabling you to overtake and slot in at the rear of the group. Below are some examples of drop off points at junctions and roundabouts.

To finish off, there are two more rules.

1. You will not overtake the rider in front of you whilst riding in staggered formation i.e. jumping in and out the pack in an attempt to get to the front. This is danerous and could cause accidents.

2. Under no circumstances will you as a rider stop traffic or cause traffic to stop so that the pack can ride through all together. This is against the law and constitutes the offence of 'Obstruction of the Highway'. You can be arrested for this.

I hope that the above guide is of use to you. Most of it is common sense but it does make for a more enjoyable, safe and leisurely ride out.

 

The Event Release

At each ride-out/event, members, non-members and guests are requested by the Road Capain to sign an 'Event Release'. You append your name, signature and give permission for First Aid to be carried out in the event of an accident. You are actually signing that you have read all the rules and conditions that appear on the front of the 'Event Release' and agree to be bound by them. A copy of the Event Release can be found here:

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Event Release

Please take time to read it. Thank you.

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Wolfruna Chapter