Driving in the Snow

Once again the snow has come early and caught out many areas of the country. Many organisations have thought about Inclement Weather Emergency Plans but some have not put them in place early enough, some have omitted significant elements such as vehicle and tyre specification.

Many companies, organisations and individuals are turning to 4x4 vehicles as a necessity during the current bad weather. We are lead to believe that these vehicles are the answer to hazardous conditions, offering extra traction to maintain progress. What is often not realised is the extra weight of these vehicles can itself create difficulties for the unaware especially in the key driving actions ie Stopping and Steering.

Simply hiring a 4x4 vehicle is not enough if the driver does not understand how it works or the techniques required to drive it safely in the snow. Indeed a "false sense of security" may cause problems of its own.

We have been providing training recently to a wide variety of customers, from Hospital Trusts and Housing Associations and Construction Utilities, Local Authorities and Insurance Call Centres, as well as Maintenance Companies, who all have or hire 4x4s to move key staff and equipment to maintain essential services, contract and care commitments. Many fail to realise that without the proper training the average driver is unlikely to know when and how to select 4 wheel drive, what to do if the vehicle slips, which way to steer to control skids and hill start and stopping techniques on slippery surfaces. This could leave employers exposed under their duty of care to provide training for equipment provided at work.

All of these subjects and more will be covered in our training courses, which will make drivers safer and more efficient and may well reduce accidents. Our nationwide centres can provide convenient, controlled environments to experience slips, slides and skids and the techniques required to control them.

CENTRE LOCATIONS MAP

Nationwide Off Road Driver Training Centres Andover, Hampshire (Southern England) 7 day availability Ferry Bridge, West Yorkshire 7 day availability Greetham, Rutland (West Midlands) 7 day availability Moreton-in-Marsh, Cotswolds (Central England) 7 day availability Northolt, West London (South East England) Sundays are not available Penrith, Cumbria (North West England) 7 day availability Stirling, Scotland 7 day availability Swansea Valley, South Wales 7 day availability Wrexham, Clwyd (North Wales) 7 day availability Selected availability for Training only: Bristol (South West) Durham (North East Plymouth, Cornwall (South West) Telford (West Midlands) HEAD OFFICE (admin only, NOT event location) All Terrain Services Ltd., Ambleside, Heol Las, Pontardawe, Swansea SA8 4PR Telephone: 01792 862669 Email: mailto:info@4x4events.co.uk