Ok, quick straw poll - How many other people learnt from an ADI who was actually prepared to take them out in falling and lying snow in the UK?

Yes. It was meant to be my test, but it was cancelled due to snow (about 3" of it), so he asked if I wanted to still go out and learn how to drive in it.

It is good when you see normal instructors out with pupils.

What i had noticed with this one was it was likely to be a pupil driving because on other occasions there were no sidelights or headlights on when the instructor was driving.

Goggled it and came up with this ->

 

• " Approved Driving Instructor 
• British land speed record" no mention of snow!
• Don't think they were around when I learnt, but I practiced whenever there was snow, which was much more frequent back then  :happy: .

My instructor used to cancel driving lessons if it was snowing. Living in the lakes and feeling the urge to drive up the fells every time the white stuff falls means you soon learn though. It's a simple case of When in doubt, flat out!

My instructor used to cancel driving lessons if it was snowing. Living in the lakes and feeling the urge to drive up the fells every time the white stuff falls means you soon learn though. It's a simple case of When in doubt, flat out!

I didn't actually say so earlier, but mine would cancel some lessons and ask others (me being one) if they wanted a lesson in snow driving even though their test would be cancelled if it was snowing at the time.

My first couple of lessons were with snow on the roads, plus a few more before my test a year later. His opinion was that you needed to get used to any conditions, so lessons went on regardless. 

No ADI or even DI here. 

 

My dad showed me what to do/what not to do well before i was even old enough to drive tbh. We tend to get quite abit here compared to other places nearby, but still its the others on the road that are frightening. 

 

When i got on the road myself at 17, it was just a case of experimenting myself and eventually just agreeing with what he said really. Took the ramming the drifts to the next level in the company Transit Sport though... 

Edited 1 January, 20179 yr by fabiamk2SE

I was never taught, other than "use a high gear" the rest I learned on the road.

 

Passed my motorbike test on a snowy day.

Keep the revs smooth, use high gears, brake gentle and plan ahead. Last time we had serious snow I had my Octavia, I passed a stuck Xtrail on a hill! Never drive into a potential area where you can get stuck if you can't drive straight through it and clear of the hazard. Bide your time. Smooth momentum is a key factor.

Some of the driving you see is scary.

Edited 2 January, 20179 yr by threadbear

Keep the revs smooth, use high gears, brake gentle and plan ahead. Last time we had serious snow I had my Octavia, I passed a stuck Xtrail on a hill! Never drive into a potential area where you can get stuck if you can't drive straight through it and clear of the hazard. Bide your time. Smooth momentum is a key factor.

Some of the driving you see is scary.

I worked in Kent one year, and when it snowed I passed a stuck Range Rover on a hill, driving a Citroen ZX on normal tyres!

Keep the revs smooth, use high gears, brake gentle and plan ahead. Last time we had serious snow I had my Octavia, I passed a stuck Xtrail on a hill! Never drive into a potential area where you can get stuck if you can't drive straight through it and clear of the hazard. Bide your time. Smooth momentum is a key factor.

Some of the driving you see is scary.

 

Got a 1 series up a steep hill by doing almost the opposite. Rolled to to hill as fast as I could safely then wellied it all the way up with the TC off letting the wheels spin.

 

Honestly I think the trick to driving in snow is to never drive too fast but never stop moving. If you can keep moving, you'll keep moving. 

 

In the country I'm pretty confident I can get through just about anything in just about any car. In town, you're ****ed; no chance without winters.There is always a set of traffic lights on an incline to catch you out.

Got a 1 series up a steep hill by doing almost the opposite. Rolled to to hill as fast as I could safely then wellied it all the way up with the TC off letting the wheels spin.

 

Honestly I think the trick to driving in snow is to never drive too fast but never stop moving. If you can keep moving, you'll keep moving. 

 

In the country I'm pretty confident I can get through just about anything in just about any car. In town, you're ******; no chance without winters.There is always a set of traffic lights on an incline to catch you out.

 

Beg to differ. 

 

Theres drifts on some roads around me which are much higher than me car :D. 

 

Sometimes every road out of town is closed or not passable. 

 

It's the other drivers that put me off in town. Racing up to junctions in a big 4x4 expecting it to stop as well as it goes... uhh, no :D. 

Not an issue when I learnt as passed in Dec from Sep learning. Then had to really learn with a LT28 van through winter ;) I miss that van :D

 

Quick question as we're in the realm of knowledge... driving past a red road closed sign; because it's snowing. Done it a few times and being prepared, m&s tyres, sleeping bag, long walk, water etc. I've accepted the risk of no rescue or potential other hazards... But is it legal? Lets say I did stuff it and had to claim on insurance after losing three tows and a nose...could I?

 

I've always wondered about this. Although in the citigo it's far less likely to actually happen even with m&s boots on.

 

But it likely to happen for me in the mountains as councils and alike get far more 'close happy' over clearing.

Not an issue when I learnt as passed in Dec from Sep learning. Then had to really learn with a LT28 van through winter ;) I miss that van :D

 

Quick question as we're in the realm of knowledge... driving past a red road closed sign; because it's snowing. Done it a few times and being prepared, m&s tyres, sleeping bag, long walk, water etc. I've accepted the risk of no rescue or potential other hazards... But is it legal? Lets say I did stuff it and had to claim on insurance after losing three tows and a nose...could I?

 

I've always wondered about this. Although in the citigo it's far less likely to actually happen even with m&s boots on.

 

But it likely to happen for me in the mountains as councils and alike get far more 'close happy' over clearing.

 

Pretty sure your insurance doesn't cover you if you go on a closed road. Thats what it was saying on the radio last year anyway. 

 

You take it at your own risk basically. 

Black ice is my greatest fear.

Preference in such conditions, DSG or Manual?

Preference in such conditions, DSG or Manual?

And some people think switching to winter tyres is expensive ;)

 

Back in the day, my driving instructor took me out in the snow as I did my lessons over winter.

Autocar get in on the act.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/winter-driving-tips.

Get yourself a Focus RS or a Cotswold "Cameron" Tractor ,as a 2nd or 3rd motor.

Edited 3 January, 20179 yr by vrskeith

Was never taught to drive in snow - learned the hard way one night on a single track road in an old Wolseley ( which turned out to have different size tyres on the rear). As a lot of management forget-driving in snow is like job planning

"Perfect planning prevents **** poor performance" .

Double the distance in which to take action - on a hill get down the box  early so as to stay in the best gear for the hill - never be afraid to let back end have a controlled slide ,to keep control awareness up .

OH-and never throw away those old footmats- keep them in the boot, with a bit of string for when ( not if) you end up with fron/rear end spinning. It's easier on a RWD- you tie the string to mats and sonething on the rear of the car- drive off and stop when safe to pick them up.

But possibly the best advice ,was something I was told by an old hand in Africa about going out on dirt tracks in rain- you need to know WHERE you can't go ,rather than where you can .

Was never taught to drive in snow - learned the hard way one night on a single track road in an old Wolseley ( which turned out to have different size tyres on the rear). As a lot of management forget-driving in snow is like job planning

"Perfect planning prevents **** poor performance" .

Double the distance in which to take action - on a hill get down the box  early so as to stay in the best gear for the hill - never be afraid to let back end have a controlled slide ,to keep control awareness up .

OH-and never throw away those old footmats- keep them in the boot, with a bit of string for when ( not if) you end up with fron/rear end spinning. It's easier on a RWD- you tie the string to mats and sonething on the rear of the car- drive off and stop when safe to pick them up.

But possibly the best advice ,was something I was told by an old hand in Africa about going out on dirt tracks in rain- you need to know WHERE you can't go ,rather than where you can .

Sound advise!

Preference in such conditions, DSG or Manual?

Put the Dsg in manual mode, and it just as good as a manual.

Put the DSG in 'D' and it is better than the manuals in snow & cold roads,

and then maybe just use the manual selection or move the stick back to 'S' for decelerating, back to D for upshifts.

 

TC off though....

Put the DSG in 'D' and it is better than the manuals in snow & cold roads,

and then maybe just use the manual selection or move the stick back to 'S' for decelerating, back to D for upshifts.

TC off though....

Not always true, sometimes you dont want it change gear, that can get you stuck.

Very true, but then you get different snows and different DSG's with the Petrols or Diesels and then different again with FWD or Part time AWD.

It is good that there is choices.

Mostly in the UK drivers are on roads with ploughed and treated roads and seldom breaking tracks through fresh snow of any depth.