Off Road Vehicle Operating (4X4)

You may be looking to update your skills or get on board with the latest health and safety regulations.

Perhaps you want to practise driving across challenging terrain or mastering your vehicle in difficult weather conditions.

Whatever your needs, our courses will get your off road driving skills up to speed.

All our courses are aimed at 4×4 drivers, but they apply to drivers of other vehicles, such as 6x4s and 6x6s.

The finer details

Two certificate options are available:

Option 1 – Principles of Off Road Vehicle Operating.

Ideal if you’re only looking to tackle basic off road challenges. Geared for driving in normal conditions, you’ll only be facing a limited range of obstacles. There will be risk, but it’s kept to a minimum.

Option 2 – Operating Vehicles in Off Road Adverse Conditions.

This is all about mastering more severe tests, including tough weather conditions. It will challenge both you and your vehicle, with a wide range of obstacles to tackle. You’ll also learn how to identify and manage risk safely.

The courses involve key theory and practical sessions:

• Introduction
• Health and safety
• Attributes of vehicles and systems
• Attributes of obstacles
• Attributes of operators
• Vehicle checks and preparation
• Basic operating techniques
• Vehicle recovery, safety briefing
• Off road to on road checks.

If you’ve already had accredited training, you still might need a refresher course if:

• Your last training was completed more than five years ago
• You’ve had a recent incident or near miss
• A new vehicle means it’s time for a skills brush-up.

To join our courses all you’ll need are basic driving skills. But you’ll be off road, not on holiday, so you’ll need to wear suitable clothing and proper shoes.

Worth noting: Smaller off road vehicles (ATVs for instance) and some larger, heavier or specialist vehicles (think tractors) are catered for by different Lantra Awards training courses.