Chassis Technology Course

Are your drivers bemused by the latest crop of chassis aids being vigorously promoted by the car manufacturers? Are these devices considered to be just a load of hieroglyphics with no meaning or relevance to everyday driving….. or are they thought of as the ultimate rescue package when it all goes wrong behind the wheel?

Sadly drivers are not the only ones who find the latest chassis aids baffling - most car sales people would be hard put to summon up a plausible explanation.  Actually, if your drivers understood the workings and benefits of this new chassis technology, they would almost certainly become safer.

And safer cars, along with drivers who know how to get the best out of them, mean fewer crashes and substantial cost savings for the employer.

To meet this need Drive & Survive has a course offering an easy-to-understand explanation of these systems, along with practical, hands-on coaching on how to get the best out of them, with the minimum of mind-boggling technospeak.

In the course we cover:

Electronic Stability Program (ESP), also known as Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Vehicle Stability Control Systems (VSCS)
Automatically senses the loss of grip on any wheel and applies gentle braking and engine power reduction as necessary to re-gain grip and thus control.

Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
Prevents wheel lock up under severe braking, allowing you to brake and steer at the same time to avoid an obstruction.

Traction Control System (TCS)
Compensates for overuse of the accelerator pedal when grip is unexpectedly at a minimum and thus reduces wheelspin.

Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
Automatically sends the braking force applied by the driver to the wheel or wheels that can make best use of it, in order to slow down in the most efficient manner, by sensing weight transfer, pedal pressure and available grip.

Electronic Brake Assist (EBA)
Automatically applies maximum pedal pressure in an emergency situation, up to a point where grip will be lost and ABS takes over. This is to counteract most drivers’ tendency to under brake for fear of locking up….despite having ABS.

So how do we impart this information?

Clearly it is inadvisable to attempt to replicate the situation in which these devices might normally operate on the public road, so we get the message across in two different ways – hands on vehicle experience in a controlled environment plus a classroom-based presentation.

The practical training is carried out at Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit.

Because of their relative simplicity, ABS and TCS can very effectively be demonstrated with the use of the Skid Car (a Ford Focus on remotely adjustable frame) but an additional element within the practical session covers the technique for making extreme changes of direction at realistic speeds to avoid a static object. This attempts to replicate the situation where perhaps a load might drop off a truck in front of you or a child might suddenly run out into your path.

However ESP, EBD and EPA cannot easily be replicated in such a way that the driver can detect what is actually happening, even with a trainer alongside offering a blow-by-blow explanation. For this reason we cover the latter three systems within a dedicated, classroom-based Drive & Survive Workshop, with the use of colour moving graphics and video. 

The course comprises one and half hours theoretical and one and half hours practical coaching, and is delivered on a three participants to one trainer basis. We can accommodate two groups of three people in both a morning and afternoon session, making a total of 12 people per day, on which basis the cost per head is £145.00.

Booking enquiries for this product should be directed to sales administration on 0870 1218339 or enquiries@drivesurvive.co.uk