Thank you for your interest in our programs.
My personal site (private property, central in Eastern Ontario) is specifically designed for teaching skid control/vehicle handling techniques. It is not a race track. Due to the fact that the majority of our clients are new drivers, elderly, or drivers sent by the Ottawa Court system, we designed the pad as to not be intimidating or to reflect a high speed/high performance environment.The pad (50,000 sq. ft.) is a fine compound pavement so that the vehicle will slide (wet or dry) at a "SAFE" speed. This allows the drivers to learn the techniques & develop confidence in their skills and ability to control a vehicle and recovery from their mistakes.
We believe you must learn new skills in a comfortable environment, then learn to apply and adapt them to more challenging situations. Drivers only learn by making and correcting their mistakes. They can not be intimidated if they are to learn how to prevent/reduce driving errors.
Drivers require and develop the same techniques & reflexes to control vehicles at any speed. Higher speeds require quicker reflexes and observational skills. This makes the transition to a different environment the only requirement.
To start the day,we begin with 1 - 1 1/2 hr. of classroom, explaining basic vehicle dynamics & physics when applied to steering control & braking.
Drivers are taught that all skids begin with a slide. If sensed early enough and properly handled, you can prevent a slide from developing into a skid. "Slides are controllable."
We train drivers to judge a vehicle's traction limits on any surface. Next we teach the drivers how to push any vehicle to it's limits and hang on so that they do not let the vehicle go beyond it's limits and thereby maintain "Control" of the vehicle. Drivers are taught that they never "Loose Control" unless they "Let go of the Steering Wheel".
"The Steering Wheel is connected to the vehicle... how can a vehicle get away from you if you have both hands on the steering wheel ??
With this the students are taught to "Throw & Catch" the vehicle, (this involves maximum steering left & right, without letting go of the steering wheel while driving in a straight line). It shows what happens when they attempt to do the same thing with Hand over Hand Steering.
It very quickly becomes obvious that Hand over Hand does not and can not work. This is the main reason that so many drivers loose control on the highway. They simply let go of the steering wheel because they do not know what else to do and this ultimately results in loss of control.
Panic Braking is practiced at the end of every run to give the drivers experience in braking under all circumstances. This is usually initiated while the vehicle is swinging sideways with the tires sliding.
The vehicle must always be stopped, sitting in a straight line in the middle of the track. This gives the drivers a positional goal to accomplish while they are attempting to get the vehicle stopped in the shortest possible distance. Unlike using water/oil, this area on the pad is usually covered with sand, gravel,or mud so the traction is different every time, and not always the same for all four tires.
Once the drivers have developed confidence in the Steering Wheel, Brakes, and the fact that "they" are controlling the vehicle, we move on to Obstacle Avoidance, Brake & Avoid, Shoulder Recovery (two tires on gravel & two on pavement, then 4 tires in the gravel & back onto the pavement without letting up on the gas or going into the oncoming lane).
Due to uncontrollable winter weather, I deal differently with winter training. Typically a company or group will get 15 - 20 drivers together for a half day program in which they use their own vehicles. We ask the group to provide a site as it is easier for me to go to a group than to have them all come to me.
The bottom line is that we want drivers to realize that all surfaces are dangerous, not only when they are wet or covered with snow and ice.
The training and techniques will and do work on any surface in any vehicle if the driver can properly judge the surface traction.
We walk with the same skills winter or summer, how do you adjust your walking skills differently for the different seasons? Most don't, but they adapt the same skills to more slippery surfaces.
"Vehicle Dynamics" taught with the proper attitude develops Safer Drivers.
My 35 years experience as a Paramedic is a decided advantage in having drivers listen when I speak. Also this is a unique background for any type of instructor.
Calendar
"WHAT YOU WILL LEARN " !!
This is what YOU will Learn at the CONTROL DRIVING SKILLS SCHOOL.
At the Control Driving Skills Vehicle Dynamics School "YOU" will Learn & Practice up to date skills and techniques required to handle the most common emergency driving situations. These techniques have been developed in today's modern vehicles - the techniques are not from the past generation of vehicles which operated & handled differently similar to a modern jet and an old bi-plane.
YOU don't have to be concerned about your age or driving experience, since these techniques are new to all drivers everyone starts on equal footing. YOU will not be Tested or compared to others. Our only grading system measures EFFORT. Everyone completes our program and becomes a safer driver unless they are not willing to learn & put out the effort. In this occasional situation the student is removed from the program so as to not interfere with those wanting to learn. ( No Money refunded ). We also work with challenged drivers, post stroke and post traumatic individuals.
YOU will learn how to operate your vehicle by FEEL. Not by trying to figure out what is happening and then trying to decide what to do about it. By the time this is accomplished the emergency has developed into an uncontrollable situation.
YOU don't have to be concerned about making mistakes & looking bad on our pad. WE ALL will make mistakes everyday of our lives & every time we operate a vehicle. We teach you how to respond to your mistakes & recover to the best of your ability. Then your mistakes become much less significant. The more mistakes you make on our pad, the less chance there is of you making the same ones on the road. We cannot make YOU perfect, but YOU will improve.
YOU will during the day - transform from a driver who responds to your vehicles actions to a driver who CONTROLS the action of your vehicle.
YOU will leave at the end of the day with more confidence - but "NOT OVER-CONFIDENT". Over-confidence is the result of LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. YOU will be more aware of your driving environment and better prepared. The fact that you are a SAFER driver makes the highways safer for Us since someday we might meet YOU on the road.
YOU will learn that to control an Emergency situation you must be definite and aggressive in your actions. First and foremost the driver must be sure they have not pushed the tires past their traction limit, and have maintained a sufficient space cushion to complete the required actions. Next the driver must be prepared Mentally knowing; 1 - What actions to take and in what sequence, ( often the 2nd action must be the exact opposite to the first "reflex" action. ) 2 - What level of EFFORT is required in this given situation. 3 - When to make the actions 4 - It is more constructive to make the "Minimum" number of actions and maximize each move to the limit rather than attempting to make a dozen moves hoping something will work and never completing anything.
YOU will learn that there is only 2 possible corrections anyone is capable of making in any vehicle. We only have a steering wheel and a couple of pedals to worry about - How difficult can it be ??
YOU will learn that in Emergency situations the largest mistake made by drivers is attempting to correct both Direction and Speed at the same time. Unfortunately this is impossible due to the laws of Mother Nature.
YOU will learn that keeping your foot ON the GAS while you are sliding is not a choice but a necessity to regain & maintain CONTROL of your vehicle.
YOU will learn how to CONTROL direction and speed individually - then how to TAP - DANCE between the two efforts to maintain & regain CONTROL.
YOU will learn the difference between "LOSS OF TRACTION " and "LOSS OF CONTROL". We believe that you never Lose Control until you "give up" because you don't know what else to do.
YOU will learn that Vehicles do not LOSE CONTROL - Drivers "Give Up" & Lose Control when they run out of options. Mechanical objects such as vehicles have no "control" to lose. Tires do not Lose TRACTION - They are pushed beyond their limit of TRACTION by the ACTIONS OF THE DRIVER.
YOU will learn the difference between SLIDING and SKIDDING. Loss of traction ( sliding ) can & will develop into a SKID at the point the DRIVER runs out of options and plants the brake ( Submission ) pedal through the floor, hoping the Brakes will solve all your problems.
YOU will learn that a SLIDE will turn into a SKID with in a 1/4 second if YOU don't make the correct moves. There is no time to try to figure out what is happening and what to do about it.
YOU will learn that SLIDING only means that you are starting to lose traction, not losing control. Now, if YOUR next action is not 1 - CORRECT, 2 - AGRESSIVE and 3 - DEFINITE - and initiated with-in that 1/4 second this slide will turn into a skid. Typically resulting in YOU driving the brake pedal through the floor and locking your tires in a uncontrollable skid. Now YOU are in a situation which there will be little hope of recovering from due to lack of space, which has been disappearing very quickly under your skidding tires.
YOU will learn that SLIDING is SLIDING regardless of the condition of your traction surface. YOU learn that you do not have to know different skills for different surfaces and conditions.
YOU will learn that the less traction your tires have - the more aggressive and definite your actions must be as everything will be happening much quicker. You must know what the vehicles actions are going to be and then be able to stay ahead with your actions. This is what keeps your vehicle in Control rather than trying to catch up to your vehicle. Vehicles are incapable of doing anything on their own, they only react to your actions.
YOU will learn that to safely operate YOUR vehicle You must be capable of operating YOUR vehicle by FEEL and be capable of maintaining an equal weight balance to all 4 corners of your vehicle for maximum traction. This is just a little basic Physics and the rules of Mother Nature.
YOU will learn how to accomplish this BALANCE using only the STEERING WHEEL and 2 PEDALS - what else is there ?
YOU will learn how to "SLOW DOWN" as "QUICKLY as POSSIBLE" rather than STOPPING as quick as possible resulting in perfect CONTROLLED Emergency stops.
YOU will learn how to Hold onto YOUR Vehicle by the STEERING WHEEL. The steering Wheel is firmly connected to YOUR vehicle by the steering column and a sturdy nut, How can YOUR vehicle get away from you if YOU are holding on with BOTH hands (at 9 & 3 of course) !! How are the controls of an airplane, bicycle, wheelbarrow designed ? YOUR hands are 180 degrees apart for strength, stability and CONTROL. Hand over Hand steering is fine below 50 KPH, above this speed the vehicle will respond and make a 90 degree turn where there will not be sufficient space for recovery and as a result "ROLL OVER" - not the vehicles fault. Holding the Steering Wheel at 9 & 3 prevents the vehicle from being turned far enough to be put out of control by YOUR actions.
YOU will learn how to safely make swerving moves around things in YOUR path when YOU don't have sufficient stopping distance. "PROVIDED" YOU have stayed with in the limits of YOUR tires & SPACE.
YOU will learn how to concentrate & operate your vehicle when for whatever reason you find yourself on the gravel shoulder with a parked transport 100 feet in front of you and there is not time to stop.
YOU will learn that when YOU have a Steering Wheel in YOUR hands, YOU have in YOUR hands the most dangerous "BOMB" on the face of the earth. Are YOU prepared to CONTROL it under ANY & ALL circumstances ?
YOU will learn that when YOU find YOURSELF in a bad situation for whatever reason, NO-ONE and NOTHING can great more space for YOU to get out of trouble. YOU have to be capable of dealing with what YOU have at hand. YOU better be with-in YOUR limits because YOU will be responsible for the rest of your life.
This is what YOU will learn at the CONTROL DRIVING SKILLS SCHOOL.
This is our MISSION.
Call us and INVEST in YOUR Future.
P.S. - In case YOU haven't noticed - the Emphasis is on "YOU" !!