The bigger picture painted is that when temperatures drop, changes to driving habits are vital to maximum success at the wheel. Through extensive attention to being gentle with the controls and looking where you want to go, students were broken of long-held and possibly dangerous habits that could cost them a bumper-- or worse.
My personal weakness? I needed to spend more time looking up the course and away from obstacles like snowbanks. According to Savoy, looking at a snowbank, telephone pole or rock-cut is a sure-fire way to hit it. You're best to look where you want to go-- not where you don't.
Of course, nobody left without sliding wildly, spinning out or eating half a dozen cones with a BMW's air-dam. Thing is, every spin-out experienced and analyzed brought those responsible one step closer to an understanding of vehicle dynamics that could save their lives.
The test cars were fitted with several electronic features to help in this regard, too. Each 3-Series skid car was fitted with a stability control system and antilock brakes. In most exercises, students tried with the electronic safeguards disengaged before turning them on. The juvenile sliding and tail-happiness was riotous, but the effectiveness of the systems at neutralizing a skid, even on ice, was equally giggle-inducing.
New and sophisticated or old and simple, the principles are the same on every vehicle. You needn't drive a BMW to take advantage of the benefits of their course, either.
Savoy explains "The first benefit of our course is to learn what a car can and can't do in winter. In winter, a car handles differently than in the summer. The attitude of the driver between summer and winter has to be different too. This is something you can't buy- you have to do it to understand it. Learning these techniques will help to make you a better, safer driver".
Tuition for the BMW winter driving course is about $800. That's by no means cheap, but it is negligible considering the potential accident it could help graduates to avoid.
photo:Justin Pritchard, Chris Koski
My personal weakness? I needed to spend more time looking up the course and away from obstacles like snowbanks. According to Savoy, looking at a snowbank, telephone pole or rock-cut is a sure-fire way to hit it. You're best to look where you want to go-- not where you don't.
Of course, nobody left without sliding wildly, spinning out or eating half a dozen cones with a BMW's air-dam. Thing is, every spin-out experienced and analyzed brought those responsible one step closer to an understanding of vehicle dynamics that could save their lives.
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The test cars were fitted with several electronic features to help in this regard, too. Each 3-Series skid car was fitted with a stability control system and antilock brakes. In most exercises, students tried with the electronic safeguards disengaged before turning them on. The juvenile sliding and tail-happiness was riotous, but the effectiveness of the systems at neutralizing a skid, even on ice, was equally giggle-inducing.
New and sophisticated or old and simple, the principles are the same on every vehicle. You needn't drive a BMW to take advantage of the benefits of their course, either.
Savoy explains "The first benefit of our course is to learn what a car can and can't do in winter. In winter, a car handles differently than in the summer. The attitude of the driver between summer and winter has to be different too. This is something you can't buy- you have to do it to understand it. Learning these techniques will help to make you a better, safer driver".
Tuition for the BMW winter driving course is about $800. That's by no means cheap, but it is negligible considering the potential accident it could help graduates to avoid.
photo:Justin Pritchard, Chris Koski
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