Category: Driving in the snow

1. Drivers Survey : winter/speed cameras

   Posted on 8:25pm Thursday 23rd Jun 2011

   Road condition and winter driving

   (winter came with a bang, tyres flattened in potholes – extra cash for repairs and inquiry after inquiry)

   51% expected road gritting in winter 2010/2011 to be better than the winter before. After significant snowfall this fell by 19% to 32% who thought gritting had actually been any better.

   44% of drivers did nothing during 2010 to be better prepared if winter 2010/11 was as bad as winter 2009/10.

   Speed cameras

   (The war on the motorist is over, cameras go cameras come – drivers dont really mind as long as improvement courses not points remain an option)

   75% of  members say speed cameras are acceptable or very acceptable.

   79% of  members agree with the idea of offering drivers courses for minor motoring offences.

2. Driving test and bad weather

   Posted on 11:11am Wednesday 24th Nov 2010

   Driving tests and bad weather

   Some driving tests may be affected by winter weather over the next few days.

   The Met Office has forecast colder weather with snow showers becoming increasingly likely. Some parts of the country may have significant snowfall. 

   Your driving test

   If you're due to take your practical test, follow the advice given on your appointment email or letter. You should call your test centre only if there is snow or ice in your local area on the day of your test.

   DSA do not conduct tests in bad light or bad weather conditions for the safety of the candidate and the examiner. Another appointment will be arranged automatically at no further cost, but compensation is not payable.

   A new appointment date is usually sent within three working days. This may take longer when there’s a period of prolonged bad weather.

   If you haven't heard about a new appointment within seven working days, you can check the status of your booking online at direct.gov.uk/drivingtest.

   If your test hasn't been rebooked at that time, you should call our customer service centre

3. All weather driving

   Posted on 12:00am Monday 23rd Feb 2009

   Driving lessons in the snow?
   
   It always amazes me when pupils phone me or the office to ask if they are still having a driving lesson, because it has started to snow or has been snowing.
   
   The simple answer is
   
   "When you pass your test and it snows are you going to drive your car?" ~Then you need to learn in it"
   
   My rule of thumb for snow is if I would drive in it, then i can teach in it!
   The ease at which all my pupils adapted to the bad conditions, simply emphasized how easy it is to adapt your driving style to the conditions around you. None of my driving lessons were cancelled even though we had pretty heavy snow as well as lots of snow on the ground.
   The whole key to it is observations and anticipation, allowing more time to react so you don't hit the brakes so hard and therefore reduce the risk of skidding.
   With the driving lessons in the snow, the pupils enjoyed seeing how to handle wheel spins and the effects of the abs at relatively low speeds. But the high point was as we were driving around as almost the ONLY driving school still out and about, there was a spokesman from the local police authority bemoaning the fact that young drivers were not able to cope with the conditions, as they were not being taught in it!!
   All except Driver Training pupils!!