We are eight poker runs into the 2007 Tour and I'm proud to say that we have a perfect safety record. There haven't been any incidents or even close calls. There are two reasons for this, our outstanding officials and the poker run participants themselves.

The Poker Runs America safety team includes Pierre Savoie and Bill Jennings. Savoie's official title is APRA Executive Director, but he's the first to recognize the importance of Jennings as Safety Director and the rest of our dedicated staff.

The part of our events that we've worked hardest on for safety is the starts. First at our season-opener in Sarasota, Fla., we separated boats into two groups, those that run above 80 mph and those that run slower. We had a positive response from all our members and from law-enforcement officials as well.

Then at our most recent event, the 1000 Islands Poker Run, our team came up with an even safer approach to starts. After the pace boats led our two groups out to a designated milling area, Poker Runs America Editor At Large and event administrator Richard Crowder released them two at a time in approximate 10-second intervals. They held a cruising speed of 50 mph until they cleared the harbor completely and entered the open water of the Canadian channel. In addition to making the event less stressful by eliminating crowding, spreading out the boats gives the passengers a more enjoyable ride because they're in a boat that's running smoothly through clean water.

"We were talking about having them start two-by-two and the rest was just a matter of organization," said Savoie. "Overall it was good teamwork and the willingness of the participants who make sure everybody around them is safe."

Of course, all the ideas to improve safety wouldn't mean a thing without support from you the participants. I want to thank each and every participant from the 1000 Islands Poker Run for listening during the driver's meeting and for helping us flawlessly executing the new starting procedure.

The response to the new start procedure from the participants was all positive and even on message boards around the country, we've heard only good things.

Other safety moves include the addition of a second paramedics boat and having Jennings and Auxiliary Coast Guard officials on hand to offer inspections for any boatowner who wants one. After all, when it comes to Poker Runs America events, safety comes first.

William E. Taylor, Publisher

(Feature Article: Poker Runs Are Here To Stay)