Skid pad Training !

moose · Sep 8, 2008

Over the weekend i Had an Incident.
a vehicle have pulled suddenly into my lane ,and under my hood
it was an emergency ,
the only rezone my truck is still in one piece is do to the skid pad training i have taken 7 years ago.
it is that important .and have changed my driving skills.
as it's turn up ,by the state patrol ,this 16 Y/O kid,Did not have a driver licence ,nor the skills to drive,and facing multiple charges by the sheriff office.

Am Haily recommend skid-pad-training for any driver,Experience or not ,
it will save you down you down the road.
Be safe.

Moose.

Moose.

redytrk · Sep 8, 2008

Took the training in 1988. I too highly recomend it. At that time there were no Anti-Lock Brakes. I wonder how the training has been modified for Anti-Lock, Any one Know?

greg334 · Sep 8, 2008

redytrk said:
Took the training in 1988. I too highly recomend it. At that time there were no Anti-Lock Brakes. I wonder how the training has been modified for Anti-Lock, Any one Know?

Fun!.......

layoutshooter · Sep 8, 2008

Where does one take this training? Does my running around on frozen lakes in my pick up truck count? Layoutshooter

Moot · Sep 8, 2008

I took a defensive driving course through St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN during the late 1970's. The University owned and operated what was at the time a state of the art closed driving course. Police, fire and ambulance personnel would also practice here.

The skid pad consisted of an area of concrete sealed with some sort of plastic coating. (urethane?) Along the shoulders of the pad water jets flooded the area with water, simulating ice conditions. I imagine during the winter they let the water freeze. I stayed after class once to watch the cops do their pursuit drill. Good fun, even at low speeds.

As Layout mentioned, a frozen lake will work. My first time behind the wheel of a car was on a frozen lake. I don't know if I would want to take a big truck out on a lake though.

When my kids first started driving I took them both to an empty snow covered parking lot and turned them loose. Both had fun and learned how to control a car on snow and ice.

cheri1122 · Sep 8, 2008

I've done the 'doughnuts in the parking lot' drill too - in a 4 wheeler. I'd be worried about rolling the truck, though.

Anyone have any info on currently available emergency handling training?

I read "Techniques for emergency highspeed driving" cover to cover, but I don't think it's quite enough...

Moot · Sep 8, 2008

Below is a link to where I took a defensive driving course. Looks like it has grown quite a bit over the years. Not sure if it is still associated with St. Cloud State University.

Welcome To the Minnesota Highway Safety & Research Center

arkjarhead · Sep 8, 2008

At the truck driving schools that Schnieder owns and operates they have a skid pad. They have all of their students use it to. Don't know how much it helps.

Jack_Berry · Sep 10, 2008

i did a skidpad at rd america in a bmw 325e during a badger bimmers driviving school. almost like a cargo van....when i got the b we saw vids of a schoolbus skidpad. THAT looked like fun!! they used a high speed dry entry to a water skidpad. WHEEEEEEEEEE!!

wonder if i could convince skip barber folks to let me use the van rather thn the neons they use.

hey moot was that loaded or unloaded? a loaded course would be great.

layoutshooter · Sep 10, 2008

They were running big trucks on Lake Simcoe one year when I was there. There was 56" of ice. In the old Soviet Union the Soviets used to use frozen rivers in Siberia to move thier road launched moblie missles. Using the rivers gave them many more "roads" to hide thier missles on. Didn't work, I still knew where they were, just made it harder to "nuke" them. Layoutshooter

moose · Sep 11, 2008

I have had my skid pad training in
Chippewa falls technical collage , Chippewa falls ,W.I.
80 $ for the Day.

it consist of 3 stages ,
1st one is a 4 hours class.

2nd is ,well ,they have a skid pad that actually more slippery in summer do to the soap they spray on it.
there are 8 T.T , for 7 drivers at a time.
each driver get 2 rounds.
each truck will either lock an axle,or one side of an axle, or jack-knife to one side or the other ,if breaks are apply .only if you hit the break you do not know what is the setup on this truck ,one truck also have anti-lock .
once you enter the pad , you are being evaluate by an instructor.
a few sets of stop lights will surprise you as to the right time to break.
and you most keep the rig within the lines at all time.
trucks are set to go 40 mph , before breaking.

3rd is an obstetrical avoidance course .
it teach you how to avoid hitting an obstetrical ,if you hit the breaks too late and there is not enough time ,or road to stop the rig.
you need to break hard , stop breaking ,steer , and break some more to a complete stop.

GOt to go...

Moose.

P51bombay · Sep 11, 2008

moose said:
3rd is an obstetrical avoidance course .
it teach you how to avoid hitting an obstetrical ,if you hit the breaks too late and there is not enough time ,or road to stop the rig.
you need to break hard , stop breaking ,steer , and break some more to a complete stop.

GOt to go...

Moose.

Wouldn't this portion be restricted to the ladies?

cheri1122 · Sep 11, 2008

Ya know, P51, I was trying SO hard to resist the 'cheap shot'.... but I think most of us already know how to avoid the obstetrician - it's a whole different kind of loss of control that I worry about.