The Castle Combe skid pad resembled a scene from the Dukes of Hazard when reporter ANDY DAVEY booked in for a course. Here he describes his exhilaration and what he learned at the end of the day

AS I began my journey home last year to celebrate Christmas with my family in Somerset, I experienced first hand the blind terror of losing control of a car.

I started to brake as I pulled up to the roundabout at junction 17 off the M4, but instead of gently gliding to a halt, my Nissan Micra skidded on a patch of surface water, 50 metres from the junction.

The steering wheel lost all control as the wheels locked and I aquaplaned towards the roundabout at 30mph.

My car, packed with Christmas gifts, clipped the central reservation, dividing the dual carriageway on the A429, before ploughing across the roundabout's three lanes.

I must have crossed the roundabout in three seconds flat, but it is no exaggeration to say it felt a lot longer as the oncoming traffic whizzed round the corner and I desperately fought to bring my car under control.

Miraculously I reached the roundabout just as there was a small break in the traffic.

Having managed to avoid a car crash my Nissan thudded into the roundabout's steep curb and ploughed into the metal upright of a sign before coming to a rest 15 metres into the island.

The car's undercarriage was badly damaged and beyond repair, but thankfully I escaped badly shaken, but unhurt.

After the accident it took me a week to build up the confidence to get behind the wheel again, especially considering the wet weather conditions prevalent at the time of year.

More than 12 months later I was sent to the Castle Combe skid pan to work out where I went wrong.

The skid pan runs courses to teach motorists the skills necessary to correct skids, brake on slippery roads and cope with driving hazards that may be encountered during the winter months.

The Department of Transport's Road Casualties Great Britain 2002 annual report revealed that there were 2,352 accidents on Wiltshire's roads in 2002 and 361 were classed as serious or resulted in deaths.

The number of accidents on wet or flooded roads in the county increased from 827 in 2001 to 906 in 2002.

"Thirty-two per cent of all crashes are related to excessive speed," said Gary Payne, an advanced driving instructor at the Castle Combe skid pan.

"This doesn't necessarily mean breaking the speed limit, it means driving too fast for the road conditions.

"We would urge drivers to reduce their speed when the weather is bad and leave plenty of time for their journey.

"The figures suggest that drivers are failing to make allowances for the bad weather. Our skid pan courses teach people how

to control a

vehicle in

difficult conditions in the safety of an enclosed environment.

"Although there is a serious message behind what we do, the courses are also fun."

The three-hour long course started with a safety briefing before we were let onto the concrete skid pan, which was covered in a solution of water and a chemical, with a similar consistency to wallpaper paste, which encouraged the cars to skid.

Each person was then given five minutes driving time in a front and rear wheel drive car to experience skidding,

We drove around a figure of eight course in second gear, while our instructors encouraged us to keep the speed up to ensure we skidded around the track.

It was exhilarating and there were moments when the track resembled a scene from the television comedy The Dukes of Hazard, with cars spinning 360 degrees across the pan.

The instructor then held a briefing to point out the driver's mistakes and explain the difference between types of skids in different cars before giving our group advice on how to deal with them.

We were then let loose on the skid pan again to try out his tips and carry out a braking exercise to demonstrate how difficult its is to control a skidding car when the wheels are locked.

This was followed by more analysis before we finished the course with a time trial around the cones.

At the end of the course I no longer feared skidding because I felt confident I could recognise a skid and had the knowledge to regain control of my car.

But the most important point the instructor emphasised was to avoid putting myself in the position where the car could skid in the first place by cutting my speed.

Steven Roberts, who raced 1500cc sports cars in the 70s and 80s and runs the skid pan, said: "If the car you are driving starts to skid you have done something wrong and it's too late.

"The course allows you to identify what's happening to your car so you can take preventative action before it starts to skid.

"We have people of all ages on the course, from 18-year-olds who have just passed their test up to 80-year-olds who have always wanted to give it a go."

The skid pan course costs £75 and is open to anyone aged 17 or above who holds a full driving licence.

For more information call Castle Combe skid pan on (01249) 783010 or visit www.combe-events.co.uk.