Black ice, emergency braking or sudden evasive maneuvers on slippery surfaces – in critical situations in the winter it’s crucial to keep a cool head and be fully in command of the vehicle. The winter training of Mercedes-Benz Driving Events prepares drivers specifically for the cold time of the year and practices intuitive, skilful reaction at the wheel. With the confidence that comes from being in the hands of experienced instructors, the participants explore their personal limits in the breathtaking winter scenery of Austria or Sweden with the vehicles from the Mercedes-Benz model range.
Here a survey of the various handling safety training and driving events of Mercedes-Benz Driving Events in winter 2012:
Winter Training: In this two-day course in the Fahrtechnik Zentrum in Saalfelden, Austria, the participants learn in exciting exercises on the ice track (slaloming, braking during cornering, or sudden lane changes) to gain full control of their vehicles in typical hazardous wintertime situations. The drifting exercises convey even more driving pleasure and dynamism.
Winter Training Perfection: Building on the Winter Training, in the two-day Winter Training Perfection course the participants approach the physical limits of driving. They go through the different drills at much higher speeds. Performing sudden lane changes or emergency braking during cornering again is designed to prepare the drivers for everyday hazards, such as when they encounter obstacles in the roadway or suddenly come upon the end of a tailback. Finally, driving enjoyment is the emphasis on the new 2.5 km handling course on ice: with spiked tyres the participants learn how to keep the car permanently drifting. Venue: the Fahrtechnik Zentrum in Saalfelden, Austria.
Winter Drift Event: This one-day training course takes place on the ice track of the Fahrtechnik Zentrum in Saalfelden, Austria. With spiked tyres the participants learn how to keep the car permanently drifting.
On- and Off-road Winter Training: 70% gradient, traversing ice and snow – in the quarry near Kitzbühel the participants in this two-day course learn to properly control a vehicle. The on-road exercises take place in the Fahrtechnik Zentrum in Saalfelden, Austria.
Professional Driver Winter Training: On the ice track in Saalfelden professional drivers find ideal conditions for practicing the way they handle winter hazards. Emergency braking on road surfaces with patches of differing slipperiness, evasive manoeuvres to avoid hitting suddenly appearing obstacles, and regaining control of skidding vehicles on snow and ice are some of the training exercises, in which the participants simulate as realistically as possible the stress situations occurring in their everyday work. In addition, they can expect to be coached by police psychologists and special trainers with interesting occupation-specific theoretical contents and exercises.
Winter Driving Event Perfection: During the five-day training event in Sorsele, Sweden, the participants spend more than 26 hours on the training grounds, partly even in individually occupied vehicles and with individual coaching by instructors. The various snow and ice tracks have many new challenges and surprises in store for them. The participants can look forward especially to practice driving in the darkness and the rally test. The driving data is recorded to help improve the participants’ driving skills. The lap timer, for instance, automatically determines the lap times, and instructors and participants jointly analyse the progress by means of in-board cameras.
