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SAFETY, CHAPTER 2 Safety is important! Bogeymen thrive on recklessness. I'll encourage seat belt use and tying down your load, along with pointing out little known pitfalls of the emergency brake and the transfer case. I'll recommend you carry a first aid kit and that you keep a fire extinguisher handy. The weather is also a safety consideration. And there's nothing wrong with investigating that steep hill or soft mud just ahead on foot, either! STATE OF MIND Safety is a state of mind. Given all the right stuff, the wrong attitude can create chaos. Given all the wrong stuff, a safe attitude will prevail. That's true for all of life's endeavors. This brief treatment of safety will assist the prudent, be scorned by the foolish and proclaimed incomplete by the wise. Safety is all encompassing. Practice safety all the time. Always carry water and never travel alone. Leave your travel plans with someone at home. Let safety be an intimate seatmate along with planning and preparation. Keep your equipment in good shape. Drive carefully on the highways. Contact the local authorities. Take spares and a few survival items to add peace of mind. Use only designated areas and trails, and you'll be easier to find in case you get lost. When you have a safety-oriented attitude, creativity abounds. Take responsibility for all your trips, with and without mishaps. Like your technical skills, safety grows with every adventure. Practical 4WD safety information follows. With safe-thinking minds in gear, the rest comes easily! |