2024 Tour Event Rules and Conduct for PCA-Canada West Region
RULE #1: SAFETY!!! THE WORLD IS NOT YOUR RACETRACK! A tour is not a competitive driving event! We drive spirited cars and enjoy spirited driving. Knowing this, your tour planner(s) attempt to plan tours on windy, scenic, secondary/back roads to provide the most spirited driving experience possible within the confines of the law. Please, be respectful of your fellow tour members, the communities we drive through and the laws of the land. PCA-CWR is a member of the community and as such, we’re visible ambassadors of our club! Please be mindful of this during any club sanctioned event.
REGISTRATION: Tour attendance is conducted by signing up using the PCA-CWR website (http://www.pca-cwr.org/). This is done by logging on to the PCA-CWR website using your personal login information viewing “Events”. Select your tour to register or RSVP for driving events. You can read the basic information about the tour on this page. If the tour/drive announcement requires registration or just an RSVP, then please sign up by the deadline so the Tour Leader knows how many cars will participate. This helps manage group planning. EVERYONE must sign the waiver and acknowledge that you have read and are familiar with these rules prior to being admitted to the tour. This must be completed before the drivers meeting in advance of the tour start, and will be monitored by the tour/Group Leaders. If provisioned, participants who join at an intermediate point MUST sign the waiver prior to commencing with the group. Participants departing from the tour must notify the group/Tour Leader prior to departure. Minors under the age of 18 must sign a separate waiver form, which is also signed by their parent/guardian.
PARTICIPANT SAFETY/DRIVERS’ MEETING: Plan to arrive 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time to receive information about the route and to sign the waiver of liability form. It is a good idea to bring an FRS, multi-channel radio. In many rural areas there is no cell phone coverage. The Tour Leader will distribute route maps after confirming the waiver of liability has been signed. All drivers must have a current driver’s license and automobile liability insurance.
COMMUNICATION: Cellular Communication for all drives / tours. Please use only hands-free communication devices while driving.
REST STOPS: Rest stops will be planned every 60-90 minutes. Pull ahead slowly to the farthest parking space to allow all cars to park and depart in an orderly and efficient manner maintaining your tour position. Do not change groups at rest stops without notifying the tour/Group Leaders! Also, do not depart the tour route without notifying your group leader. Once you depart the published tour route, you are no longer considered part of the tour and will not be covered by PCA liability insurance.
GROUP SIZE: While the tour/group size is ultimately determined by the Tour Organizer (Tour Leader), we recommend limiting groups between 10 & 12 cars for safety and logistical reasons. This is the reason we require registration in advance of the event (no registration, no participation!). Some tours must limit the number of cars that can participate because of capacity limitations at the destination venues. Groups depart at 15-minute intervals as determined by the Tour Leader. This interval may be shorter on events involving dozens of cars.
CONGESTED AREAS/SEPARATION: Be cautious traveling through congested areas and obey all traffic signals and speeds. If you get separated from your group, follow your route directions, and call your tour/group leader or sweep on your radio or cell phone. Leaders will pull over as soon as possible to regroup if cars get separated. The sweep should advise the group leader if the tail end of a group gets separated due to traffic, stoplights or at 4-way stop intersections.
SPEED and PASSING: Spirited driving does not mean exceeding the posted speed limit. Observe all local speed limits and traffic laws. Do not pass on solid yellow lines in your lane, double yellow lines, on blind curves, in school zones, etc. (common sense applies). Don’t weave in and out of traffic to catch-up to your group. Frequently, non-Porsche cars may become mixed with your group. When you pass those drivers, be courteous, and remember that we are ambassadors of the Porsche Club of America, Canada West Region and all of its members. Be mindful that with smart/camera phones/dashcams, we are highly visible and locals will not hesitate to “document” a situation they deem unsafe or annoying. When passing non-motorized vehicles (bicycles, horses, pedestrians), pull over far enough to pass safely but DO NOT pass aggressively, at a high rate of speed or under full acceleration! Pass at a reasonable rate of speed, then accelerate appropriately when past your subject. Driving with your headlights ON is the law and helps to increase visibility to other vehicles.
PASSING WITHIN THE TOUR/GROUP: Passing the tour/group leader, other event participants or conducting side tours is NOT allowed. The Tour Leaders have traveled the route numerous times in preparation for the tour, are familiar with when to use caution and will dictate the speed at which the tour progresses. If you are passed by another event participant, please notify the group or Tour Leader (especially an unsafe or reckless maneuver). If a tour member passes the Tour Leader, that member will be considered as having left the tour, not be allowed to rejoin and the incident will be reported to the tour committee. If you need to leave the tour early, please notify your group/Tour Leader and sweep and leave at a rest stop or regrouping point so that other cars behind you do not follow you by mistake. If you must depart during the tour, please take a position at the back of your group. Once again, if you depart the published tour route, you are no longer considered part of the tour and will no longer be covered by PCA liability insurance.
EMERGENCIES: Let the group leader or sweep know as soon as is safely possible. Stop, raise your frunk hood and turn on your emergency flashers. The whole group will stop when safe to do so, wait until the situation is resolved and the tour/group leader determines the appropriate time to resume the tour.
Failure to observe PCA-Canada West Region's Tour Rules and conduct may result in exclusion from participation in future tours.
Thank you -- PCA-Canada West Region Executive and Tour Directors