Direct Line Icy Roads – Skid Pan Training

Last winter, I nearly had an accident while driving on icy roads to our local supermarket. It was very scary as little man was at the back of the car and I had no idea what to do.

I wish they thought us what we should and shouldn’t do in dangerous conditions when learning to drive. Luckily nobody got hurt and I managed to stop the car a few centimetres from the other car, but the outcome could have been very different.

Direct Line Car Insurance invited me to an event aiming to help worried drivers by keeping them safe whilst on the road in dangerous conditions like snow and ice.

We were taken to a skid control centre in Kettering to learn how to prevent skidding on ice and, in the worst case scenario, how to deal with a skid.

It was lovely meeting Hayley, Rachel, Michelle, Kip, Penny and Catherine at the event, we were treated to a lovely dinner and breakfast at the hotel before our skidpan driving experience started.

When we arrived at Northants Skid Control Centre in Corby, there were two cars, front and rear wheel drive, on site along with two highly skilled and qualified instructors. We took in turn to drive and learn to deal with dangerous winter driving conditions. Our experience was recorded by video cameras around the skidpan and inside the cars.

Skid Pan Driver Training is a fun and safe way of learning and practicing advanced driving skills on wet and oily surfaces, which are similar to driving on icy and hazardous road surfaces. After the instructors demonstrated what we should and shouldn’t do in dangerous conditions, we had the chance to practice what we learned without an instructor in the car.

I must admit I got a bit scared at the beginning and I might have screamed once or twice when I lost control of the car, but the whole experience was very enjoyable. Not only I had such a fun day (as you can see in the video and photos), it was very useful learning how to deal with some of the worse winter driving conditions.

I definitely feel safer on the road after our skid pan driver training and I believe I am more capable of keeping our family safely when driving on bad weather.

Thank you Direct Line for such an enjoyable and useful training, it was fun learning how to deal with dangerous driving conditions. I sincerely hope I never need to use it, but if I am faced with bad weather, I know what to do, thanks to the skid pan training provided.