SKID / CAR CONTROL, TUITION & EXPERIENCES

SKID / CAR CONTROL TUITION COURSES AT MANBY MOTORPLEX

We believe that the skills we teach on our Car Control Courses are put into practice from the moment you leave our venue, and should help you in all driving situations, not just in adverse conditions. See letters of thanks from past customers about their experiences on the roads. THIS LETTER goes to show that even with some training, having an idea of what to do is better than having no idea at all!

Manby Motorplex offers three standard courses;

The BRONZE INTRODUCTION to CAR CONTROL COURSE
The SILVER INTERMEDIATE CAR CONTROL COURSE
The GOLD RoSPA Approved CAR CONTROL COURSE

We highly recommend you take each course in order. Many people believe they are good drivers on the roads, but many don’t appreciate how this has nothing to do with slippery road driving, and it’s a big shock. Starting at the BRONZE and moving from SILVER to GOLD in order is the way to progress and far better than choosinga course that is too advanced where you won't be able to keep up. We have never had a driver yet say after doing the Bronze course they wished they had done amore advanced course first.

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Customer Comments
Read what our previous customers have said about their Skid /Car Control Courses.
Photo Gallery
See for yourself some of our previous customers having fun and learning during their skid / Car control courses.
All Skid / Car Control courses Choose which experience you'd like to try!

PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION BELOW BEFORE MAKING YOUR BOOKING

ABOUT OUR SKID / CAR CONTROL COURSES

The area we use for skid / car control courses is approximately 7 acres, 300 m long - that's about the size of three football pitches! It is overlooked by our Clubhouse, and is used only for skid tuition courses - it doesn't double as a car park! It really is second to none! At some venues, where the area available for skid control is considerably smaller, It may be necessary for speeds to be restricted to 20mph which aren't realistic and far too easy. At Manby Motorplex speeds of up to 60mph are possible because of the sheer size available to our instructors.

Our Skid / CarControl School was the first in the UK to be approved by Rospa (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents). In fact Rospa did not recommend skid courses pre 1993 as there were and still are so many poor courses available and they had not seen one to recommend. Manby Motorplex Skid training was recommended by so many people to RoSPA's Head of Driver Training, that they secretly sent their instructors to skid control courses at Manby Motorplex to observe our skid / car control training programme.

In 1993 John Ball, the head of UK RoSPA driver training introduced himself to us and explained they had been sending instructors on our skid / car control courses and since then RoSPA has taught a course modeled on their experience at Manby Motorplex.

Skid control courses are available at venues around the country; either on a traditional skid pan or by fitting a hydraulic frame to a vehicle which allows the instructor to directly control the car's ability to grip the surface by raising the front or rear of the car. This hydraulic device is known as a 'Skid Car' and at Manby Motorplex, our Skid Frames are fitted to a Mercedes and a Volvo.

Some would argue that the use of a 'Skid Car' is less effective than tuition on a traditional skid pan. Many venues that adopt this view are unable to offer a suitably sized area that is of a good enough standard (the tarmac must be smooth and well maintained) on which to use a 'Skid Car' - not to mention the cost of the equipment!

The main alternative therefore is the skid pan (an area made artificially slippery by water and chemicals) and driving a standard road car on it. From an instructing point of view the scope for tuition using a 'Skid Car' is far greater than on a skid pan - where diversity of conditions is restricted. The 'Skid Car' is able to reproduce with great accuracy, the conditions that the instructor wants for the pupil - on a skid pan, the conditions cannot be changed - at all.

Using a Skid Car on the Mercedes, our instructors can mimic the effect a slippery corner can have on the handling of a car. They can make the car handle as if the corner were slightly slippery, or as the learner progresses and gains more skill, can make it handle as if the corner were very slippery - the amount of grip being completely dictated by the instructor's use of the Skid Car. The instructor is therefore able to simulate a much wider range of road conditions than is possible on a traditional skid pan, where control over the amount of 'slipperyness' is impossible to vary. We don't just teach road drivers, but also Test drivers, race and rally drivers, track day drivers etc, thats how good the skid cars on on a large surface.

If you have previously taken a course in a 'Skid Car' or on a skid pan and have been disappointed, or unimpressed we would suggest that the standard of instruction and facilities (the area available for the course) was poor - at Manby Motorplex we are proud of our reputation for providing great skid control tuition and teach some very elite car manufacturer’s own drivers.

If you have purchased a Skid experience Voucher (Bronze) through a shop or agency, and think you would prefer the more advanced Silver course - For experienced drivers only- by paying the difference in cost we can upgrade your activity voucher. Please contact us.

WHO NEEDS TO TAKE A SKID / CAR CONTROL COURSE

The answer - everyone who drives on the road! and to anyone who wants to be a better driver. We teach track days drivers and race and rally drivers at a far lower cost to them than using their own competition vehicles. Anyone could be confronted unexpectedly with a situation resulting in a skid! If you are one of the many people obliged to travel by road as part of your job, then you or the company you work for should consider how the risks on our roads could be minimised with driver training.

Our Car Control courses give you the skills you need to avoid a serious accident and could possibly save your life. The course is ideal if you travel extensively on the roads, or if you have become nervous of driving during the winter months (after perhaps having a shunt or even a near miss).

In our skid car you are in a safe and controlled environment and this will allow you to learn what you can do to avoid getting into an unexpected skid and what to do if confronted with an unexpected skidding situation!

THE SKID CARS

The skid cars used at the Manby Motorplex Driving Centre are computer controlled skid cars. The skid car is mounted in a cradle that hydraulically lifts the car to reproduce loss of traction in response to the instructor's commands. The skid car is able therefore to provide any number of potentially dangerous skid conditions but in a safe and controlled way.

We believe that a skid car like ours is far more effective than a standard vehicle on a skid pan (or grease pan) as we can alter the settings to suit the ability of the driver or to imitate the type of vehicle they drive. Four wheel drive vehicles tend to understeer (front wheel skid), so if we are teaching a utility company's 4x4 drivers we will emphasise understeer.

If you are nervous and not familiar with how to control a skid we can start off with the cars set to slide at low speed. For a more experienced driver we can operate at higher speeds where reaction times need to be much faster. A thorough knowledge of the learning programme and an ability to use the Skid car effectively will allow the instructor to reproduce all conditions - some of which cannot be successfully reproduced on a skid pan (or grease pan).

All our instructors are recognised by "Skid car UK" but only the most qualified and experienced teach the RoSPa approved course.

WHERE WILL THE SKID COURSE TAKE PLACE?

Our skid area can be seen in the image on the left - space is not an issue! The skid area is not made wet before you drive on it - you will be in a controlled environment in the skid car, with the instructor in control of the conditions. There won't be any unexpected outcomes as there could be on a wet skid pan!

Having some experience in a skid car or grease pan at any venue should be better than none at all, but vehicles react differently at different speeds. Some venues are not able to provide the space for skid vehicles to exceed 15 mph. On all our courses you will reach twice that speed and for advanced, race and rally drivers we teach at up to 70mph. As the speed of a vehicle increases, so does the speed at which a skid develops and of course the speed at which you must react. We have the facilities to tailor speed to ability - so if you are a willing and able learner you may find yourself skidding at high speed at Manby Motorplex! This isn't always possible at smaller venues or on a skid pan.

WHAT'S INVOLVED

Using the skid control car you will be given instruction on how to recognise, control or prevent understeer and oversteer in front, rear wheel and four wheel drive vehicles.

The BRONZE course is the foundation of car control, and covers the understanding, recognition and dealing with understeer (front wheel skid) and oversteer (rear wheel skid). You will also receive some classroom theory. Before any instruction is given you will be timed on a set course, then timed again following your instruction using the same settings so you can see your improvements after instruction. This course is the foundation of car control, a fantastic way to learn and understand what some people think is a black art, but really isn't. All participants are in the car during the whole course, not viewing from the sidelines as you could expect at many venues.

Our SILVER Car Control courses will take around two hours. The course starts with a theory session including all the advantages and disadvantages of electronics, which will be a big shock to most people, then onto a quick recap of understeer and oversteer, then evasive action (with and without ABS), and downhill on ice exercises. We also teach you damage limitation, or how to have an accident! A huge lifesaver. Timed runs are again used to measure the skills gained as per the Bronze course. Four students plus the instructor in the skid car for the whole course.

Our GOLD Car Control course will take around two hours. The course starts with a theory session - a little more detail of the great advantages of ESP (Electronic Stability Control) and similar electronic aids, and also their disadvantages in certain situations, a recap of understeer and oversteer, evasive action with and without ABS, downhill on ice exercise, plus emergency stopping on slippery road surfaces. As the participants should have learned much of this before, this should be covered quicker and at higher speeds. Timed runs are again used to measure improvement in skills gained and additional runs with more demanding settings will illustrate how much has been learned. Four students plus the instructor in the skid car for the whole course.

Our Volvo or Mercedes cars have a computer controlled skid frame, which means you will be able to learn, then practice in perfect safety, a wide variety of skid situations including understeer, oversteer, evasive action, cadence braking, downhill on ice and emergency stops on slippery surfaces.

You will be instructed with and without ABS and probably the most important instruction given will be in damage limitation – or "how to have an accident"! When it's clear that an accident is unavoidable - whatever the cause - you can increase your chances of surviving by staying in control in order to help choose the spot for your accident.

The skid car is an invaluable tool in teaching you how to stay in control. We have a saying at Manby Motorplex; “with control comes options!” We have been teaching "How to have an accident" since 1988, although it was re-named by RoSPA as "Damage Limitation Training" in 1993.

WHAT TO WEAR

Participants should wear suitable driving footwear such as trainers or soft-soled shoes. Both participants and spectators should wear comfortable clothes suitable for the weather conditions.

SPECTATORS

At Manby Motorplex we encourage spectators to get as close up to the action as is safely possible. Including our skid control fun course where you have the option of your guest sitting in the rear of the skid car with their video camera, during your final timed run – what a great memento of your day!

You are allowed up to a maximum of two spectators – FOC to share your day. Any extra spectators will be charged a small fee per person to cover the cost of refreshments and insurance. If your course involves lunch then your guests are also welcome to join us at their own expense.

You can also pre-book experiences for your guests - at a discounted price. They could enjoy taster or longer activities (subject to availability) such as juggernaut and 4x4 off-roading. They can also walk the dog on the 470 acre site, and you can book the children onto an archery course!

If it's pouring down with rain your guests can watch you being put through your paces from our club house - although it is very rare for spectators not to stay close to the action. (There is also a TV).

ARE YOU READY TO DRIVE? CHOOSE YOUR SKID CAR / CONTROL DRIVING COURSE

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