As an extension to our popular advanced/defensive driving courses, we also offer a bespoke winter driving course, which is available all year round, but is particularly popular from the months of September to February.
Our winter driving course is designed to help mostly company clients (although this is available to private individuals too) become safer, more skilful drivers in adverse weather conditions, which are found in winter.
Course Structure:
Part 1: Initial Assessment: There is an initial assessment, which lasts around 10 minutes, where the driver will be asked a number of questions. Their tutor will then mark the assessment with the driver present.
There is no pass or fail, but the assessment gives the tutor a useful insight into the driver’s current knowledge and awareness around winter driving. This forms an essential part of the rest of the training.
View Initial Assessment Example (opens new screen)
During the feedback the tutor and driver can discuss the answers. While the assessment itself is designed to ascertain current knowledge, the marking part acts as a useful learning element to help the driver with any gaps in their knowledge.
Duration: Approx 40 minutes
Part 2: Vehicle Overview: After the initial assessment, we will spend time with the driver to look at their car/van with regards to tyres, lights, wipers etc, and also to have a review of the car/van winter driving kit (if you have them in the vehicle), and highlighting the key things you need to be checking on a regular basis in winter, and things you MUST do before driving in adverse weather.
On this vehicle overview, we can also provide advice on how to avoid getting stuck in snow and what to do if you do get stuck. This element is very focused on the vehicle and keeping the car/van and driver safely mobile in hazardous weather.
Duration: Approx 20 minutes
Part 3: On-Road Training: If the course happens to take place during adverse weather, that’s great. But it’s not always possible to predict the weather, and so the on-road element is designed to:
- Iron out any bad habits which could play a detrimental part in safer winter driving.
- Help a driver with driving on more challenging roads, where vehicle control and awareness are critical.
- Assist a driver to look much further ahead and plan their driving – essential elements for driving in all conditions but especially in adverse winter weather.
The on-road session will be based around the driver and will reflect back on the answers given and discussed in the initial assessment (Part 1).
In this session, we will head out on challenging rural roads, where the driver will drive for around 30 minutes, where the tutor will mark them in 20+ areas of driving from Poor to Excellent. After the initial drive, there will be a debrief with the tutor, who will go over their driving, the marking elements, and what they have observed. Based on what the tutor has observed, the training will mainly be based around improving vehicle control, and defensive driving techniques vital for hazardous weather – based on their own driving style.
The coaching will specifically focus on dealing with skid control, use of gears in snow, steering and braking (reactive driving) but also, as equally as important, being aware of safer driving in the first place (proactive driving), and how forward planning, smoother use of controls will greatly reduce the chances of an emergency situation occurring in the first place. This will be a great opportunity to help iron out bad habits, which could play a detrimental role in hazardous weather, such as unplanned, rushed steering or reactive jerky braking, tailgating etc…..
A full debrief will take place, which will recap on what has been covered on the day, and some final hints and tips from the tutor. A driving report will be sent to you for each driver after the course. The initial assessment will be kept by the driver.
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cost:
The cost for our winter driving course is £275 + vat for a single 3.5hr session. If you want to train two drivers a day, we can train one driver in the morning for 3.5hr and one in the afternoon for 3.5hrs. This would cost £400 + vat (£200 a driver)
Please call or email us for more information on this winter driving course. A member of our team will be delighted to help with things like availability and current waiting times. Remember we have full UK coverage and come to you for the training.