ONTARIO PLACE, Toronto – The big sedan glides around the circular, icy skid pad in a lovely, sweeping arabesque, sending up a plume of fluffy snow into the crisp air. As the arc tightens up, the vehicle’s tail starts to swing around, but the driver corrects it with a gently applied counter-steer and the E-Class continues its beautiful controlled slide, around, and around, and around.
Exiting the vehicle, the driver, a softly spoken Asian woman ecstatically high-fives Danny Kok, chief instructor of the Mercedes-Benz Winter Driving Academy. Just a few hours before, the same driver, hands clenched on the steering wheel, was terrified of losing control – or even worse – tipping over.
Since early January, the Mercedes-Benz Winter Driving Academy has been traveling Canada from coast to coast, offering a full day of winter driving instruction in cities across the country.
Like a giant, traveling road show, the company’s tractor-trailer rolls into town carrying the twelve vehicles to be used in the school. The fleet represents a broad range of Mercedes-Benz’s lineup – from the humble smart fortwo to the luxurious E-class, and even includes some performance-oriented AMG models.
Although it’s outrageously satisfying careening around a circular ice rink in a $75,000 luxury car, participants are also learning some valuable car control skills that may one day save their lives.
The Toronto session takes place on the shore of Lake Ontario, the piercing spire of the CN Tower a dramatic backdrop. Our day begins in a classroom, where Danny outlines the basics behind safe winter driving principles.
We’re in good hands – Kok has over 25 years in combined motorsports and teaching experience, with clients that include police forces and professional drivers in the American Le Mans, Trans-Am and Formula Atlantic racing series.
His program consists of a “building block system” beginning with correct seating (close enough to apply maximum braking pressure immediately without reaching) and hand positions – Kok is an advocate of hands at “9 & 3” on the steering wheel, which he feels provides superior control and smoother input than the “shuffle method” taught by some other schools.
Kok can’t emphasize enough how important good vision is, looking far ahead of the vehicle gives the driver more time to prepare and react to possible incidents. And not just through the windshield, the side windows provide a wide panorama that the smart driver makes use of while turning.
Every throttle, brake or steering input is magnified when driving on a slippery surface, so gentle, smooth inputs are critical.
There’s a brief explanation of the ESP (electronic stability program) system that each car is equipped with, and of course we learn that Mercedes-Benz invented this technology that’s since become an industry standard.
ESP works by using electronic sensors to monitor the vehicle's path, comparing it against steering input to determine the driver's intended direction and, using selective braking and torque distribution to individual wheels, corrects any deviation from that path.
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| Photo: Mercedes-Benz |
Exiting the vehicle, the driver, a softly spoken Asian woman ecstatically high-fives Danny Kok, chief instructor of the Mercedes-Benz Winter Driving Academy. Just a few hours before, the same driver, hands clenched on the steering wheel, was terrified of losing control – or even worse – tipping over.
Since early January, the Mercedes-Benz Winter Driving Academy has been traveling Canada from coast to coast, offering a full day of winter driving instruction in cities across the country.
Like a giant, traveling road show, the company’s tractor-trailer rolls into town carrying the twelve vehicles to be used in the school. The fleet represents a broad range of Mercedes-Benz’s lineup – from the humble smart fortwo to the luxurious E-class, and even includes some performance-oriented AMG models.
Although it’s outrageously satisfying careening around a circular ice rink in a $75,000 luxury car, participants are also learning some valuable car control skills that may one day save their lives.
The Toronto session takes place on the shore of Lake Ontario, the piercing spire of the CN Tower a dramatic backdrop. Our day begins in a classroom, where Danny outlines the basics behind safe winter driving principles.
We’re in good hands – Kok has over 25 years in combined motorsports and teaching experience, with clients that include police forces and professional drivers in the American Le Mans, Trans-Am and Formula Atlantic racing series.
His program consists of a “building block system” beginning with correct seating (close enough to apply maximum braking pressure immediately without reaching) and hand positions – Kok is an advocate of hands at “9 & 3” on the steering wheel, which he feels provides superior control and smoother input than the “shuffle method” taught by some other schools.
Kok can’t emphasize enough how important good vision is, looking far ahead of the vehicle gives the driver more time to prepare and react to possible incidents. And not just through the windshield, the side windows provide a wide panorama that the smart driver makes use of while turning.
Every throttle, brake or steering input is magnified when driving on a slippery surface, so gentle, smooth inputs are critical.
There’s a brief explanation of the ESP (electronic stability program) system that each car is equipped with, and of course we learn that Mercedes-Benz invented this technology that’s since become an industry standard.
ESP works by using electronic sensors to monitor the vehicle's path, comparing it against steering input to determine the driver's intended direction and, using selective braking and torque distribution to individual wheels, corrects any deviation from that path.
 |
| Photo: Mercedes-Benz |