The following protocol will be acted upon due to adverse weather and helps to bring clarity as to when lessons may be cancelled due to adverse or inclement weather.
Decisions on whether to cancel lessons due to adverse weather will be based on a number of factors. Safety will always be paramount, and it is often the expected actions of other drivers which remains a concern rather than learners themselves. Decisions on whether to proceed will also be based on learners current experience.
Driving in adverse weather, whilst helpful, must be balanced against the level of risk presented.
Decisions on whether to cancel lessons will be made considering the following factors:
LOCAL ASSESSMENT
A local assessment of a variety of roads will be conducted before lessons commence where it is safe to do so.
SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS ISSUED BY THE UK MET OFFICE
Any yellow weather warning is unlikely to lead to the cancellation of lessons, although this will be subject to local assessment.
Any amber weather warning will lead to a likelihood of lesson cancellations. This will be assessed on a local level. In instances of snow/ice, wind, rain and fog a local assessment will take place to determine the conditions. Non-essential travel is not advised when covered by an amber weather warning.
Any red weather warning (rare) will lead to a cancellation of lessons as it is considered at this time that only essential travel should take place.
More information on weather warnings can be found at www.metoffice.gov.uk
TEST CANCELLATIONS
If DVSA staff have taken the decision to cancel tests due to driving conditions, this will form part of any local assessment. Examiners will conduct an assessment of a wide variety of roads before taking any such decision and cover a much wider area than I could possibly cover. I don’t always agree with their assessment however, but these decisions will be taken into consideration.
LEARNER EXPERIENCE
A consideration will be made as to the relevant experience of the learner. For relatively new starters, where lessons may take place in built up or residential areas, which may not have been treated, lessons are more likely to be cancelled. For drivers with a greater range of experience which enables access to faster roads/main routes which are more likely to have been treated, these are more likely to go ahead although consideration will need to be given to access via minor roads.
The practicing of manoeuvres may be problematic due to kersbide icing for the pull up on the right and parallel park, whilst the absence of visibility of lines for car park manoeuvres may also make this difficult.
LEARNER CHOICE
If you wish not to proceed due to the conditions, the lesson may be mutually cancelled without charge, even at short notice.
OTHER ROAD USERS BEHAVIOUR
If the actions of other road users are likely to increase the level of risk encountered, lessons may be terminated or cancelled.
In the event that lessons are to be cancelled, this will be reviewed throughout the day to allow further assessment to take place. Only if it is obvious there is unlikely to be an improvement in road conditions, the decision may be made at an early stage to cancel lessons. As much notice as possible will be provided, but please bear in mind this will be a very fluid situation which is likely to change.
Further advice on driving in adverse weather conditions can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/driving-in-adverse-weather-conditions-226-to-237