[JRinKY]

First, I am a strong advocate for the use of radios, but I think that their safety benefit is being a bit overstated. Yes, a call-out of "bicycle" (or whatever) can be useful, but it is less likely to tell a group that it is slowing down than why it is slowing down. Assuming that the group is staying together the way it is supposed to.

The real benefit of the radio is getting the group back together, or back on track, when things go wrong. Too large a group, too complicated a route, too congested a route, too many traffic lights, etc will all make it easier for a group to get separated. Drivers that do not understand, or who do not care, how to stay together also make it easier for a group to get separated.

In the bad old days before radios, before GPS, before Google Maps (which I still hate) we did runs with 20 or more cars, and managed to get everyone there and back nearly every time. We did it by paying attention to the car ahead of and (mostly) the car behind us.

The prime responsibility of the driver is not to keep up with the car in front, it is to make sure the car behind is still following, and that is a fact that cannot be stressed enough in the pre-run drivers' meeting.

Our runs are supposed to be fun, but there is a element of serious that has to exist for the fun part to work. Getting run off by the police aside, the drivers' meeting is absolutely critical to a successful run. A good drivers' meeting will explain to the new-comers what is going on, what they need to do, and how best to do it. It will also give them a chance to ask questions and state any concerns that they have. Knowledge of what is going on is the key to making a first experience successful.

Very few of us take the drivers' meetings seriously. Talking, visiting, listening to the stereo, and showing up late all detract from the usefulness of the meeting, and can result in problems for everyone, especially the inexperienced in the group.

During the runs I think there is far too much chatter on the radios, and I have been guilty of contributing to it. Reception is frequently poor, and there is a lot of background noise, so random talking can cause lots of problems and confusion. The only people talking on the radio should be the leader, the sweeper, the relay person if that is necessary, and those who have problems or questions.

That is my speech for the day, thanks for reading.