Do we still do driving lessons in the Snow?

Should you be worried about driving lessons in the snow?

The weather plays an important part when teaching people to drive. It adds things to teach and provides a greater challenge to both learners and driving instructors alike.

On the 1st February 2019 we woke up to a dusting of snow in Worthing. This type of weather means that I have to assess the lessons booked into my diary for the day, the learner's current ability and levels of risk. Even if I consider the conditions safe and the learner capable, some simply don’t like the idea of having a lesson in possibly slippery conditions. They may have had previous experiences as pedestrians, passengers or sometimes cyclists or motorcyclists that have lead to a fear of skidding and/or a belief that other road users don’t assess risks or drive safely in such conditions. If I have assessed the risk and consider the lesson safe to go ahead I will always give the learner the choice, after all I am supposed to be teaching them to be responsible drivers who make safe driving decisions. If the learner doesn’t want the lesson in these weather conditions I am happy to postpone - I don’t believe there is anything to be gained from pushing a learner to drive in conditions they are uncomfortable with and which could affect their ability to learn (other instructors may disagree with me, but this is my opinion and approach!)

If you are going to drive in the snow here are some useful tips:

Leave plenty of room or wait until it’s clear so you don’t have to stop part way up. Keep a constant speed and try to avoid having to change gear on the hill.

Downhill – slow down before the hill, use a low gear and try to avoid braking.

Leave as much room as you can to the car in front.

If you have to use your brakes, apply them gently.

If you drive an Automatic, check the handbook – some have a winter mode or recommend selecting ‘2’ in slippery conditions.

If you do get stuck, straighten the steering and clear the snow from the wheels. Put a sack or old rug in front of the driving wheels to give the tyres some grip.

Stay safe!!!! ❄️❄️❄️❄️