Skid pan Training

[Farmer]

Following a Major Drama where my 20 (now 21) year old son had his first accident on a flooded dual Carriageway, luckily nobody else involved and no damage other than a written off Clio; where would anybody recommend for Skid training/fun in the East Midlands/East Anglia or slightly further afield (looked at Rockingham) . The crash and subsequent short period without a car knocked his confidence in bad conditions though he remains a competent driver otherwise , his little sister now nearly 18 and driving solo for 6 months now would also be a good candidate going into her first winter .

All suggestions gratefully received

Thanks

[jaf01uk]

Your post will probably end up in "advanced driving" part but I'll stick my tuppence worth in, I would heartily recommend Skidcar as the most realistic, informative and fun way of learning "skid avoidance" They can simulate anything from low grip ice and snow through understeer like experienced on wet roundabouts through to oversteer and everything in between, including all 4 wheels off the ground as a grand finale, all at a reasonable price too, I would just like to add I am not connected personally or commercially with Skidcar,
Gary

[Farmer]

Thanks did wonder if it should be in "Advanced" but I've always fought shy of that tag for it's string backed gloves stigma

[jaf01uk]

Farmer said:

Thanks did wonder if it should be in "Advanced" but I've always fought shy of that tag for it's string backed gloves stigma

Hmm

[fjord]

I just learned the hard way.

Slamming RWD cars into bends at 3am at increasingly higher speeds and different weathers, until it lets go, then you know where your limit is

[GavinPearson]

It would be worth looking at this:-

http://www.drivingheaven.com/skid-control-265-c.as...

When I took my advanced driving test (RoSPA), it was part of a week long course that included time with a skid car system on an old runway.

I think that spending some time learning the basics is a good investment.

My view is that it might be best to start with the fundamentals of driving to avoid problems and that means joining an advanced drivers club. This will be a good activity for your kids and hopefully give them a sense of confidence so they can enjoy motoring safely. In my view, fundamentals would be:
1) Glance at tyres before driving to see that they look adequately inflated.
2) Correct position in relation to wheels and pedals, before setting up mirrors.
3) Set up mirrors so there is a view of what is approaching in adjacent lanes.
And they've not even started the car!

There's then the business of reading the road, pointing out pedestrians, other road users, vehicles on side roads that may pull out, reading the road surface to recognize spills, standing water, a less grippy surface.

As time goes on, they will be able to match the speed to the conditions and buy enough time to react to any problems that occur.

So does it work? I'd say yes - 2 winters ago I was driving in some very nasty weather at very reduced speed (note speed matched to conditions), slowed as I came off at a motorway exit and the surface was pure black ice (this was unexpected). Remaining calm as the ABS kicked in enabled me to maintain control, and when the surface was good enough to support braking I stopped safely. So a little drama - but no damage was caused - the objective of the training was met.

[teabagger]

Get booked on a trackday, have him learn how the car feels at speed and near, at and over its limits of grip.

[s p a c e m a n]

Tesco carpark and a gallon of diesel?

[GavinPearson]

teabagger said:

Get booked on a trackday, have him learn how the car feels at speed and near, at and over its limits of grip.

Reserve that until after he has the basics of road driving.

I have visions of going to a Cadwell Park trackday in the early 90s, admiring a well cared for Pug 309 GTI owned by some kid in his early 20s, who one hour later overcooked it coming out of Charlies onto Park Straight and stuck it into the infield bank. The only usable part on the car was the right hand wing mirror and door glass. The owner was a little upset.

[orangesrule]

Phil price rally day, mid wales, on loose slippery mud, you soon get a feel for traction; good laugh too!

[mattdaniels]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[Farmer]

Thanks for all your "eclectic" responses (as expected) looks like Alconbury could be a good bet . cheers

[10 Pence Short]

The best investment in time and money would be advanced on road training to improve chances of avoiding an incident in the first place. I appreciate that isn't always possible to do, of course.

I did a bit of skid pan training on a Police skid pan at Durham's HQ. This was in an old Omega with slicked road tyres and 4 adults in the car. Worth the money, in my opinion, but look out for false confidence afterwards.