36 | JANUARY 2019
Motoring
Skills
YOUR
WINTER
DRIVING
QUESTIONS
ANSWERED
Part one: safer driving in rain and flood
Road safety and breakdown organi-
sation GEM Motoring Assist is encouraging
motorists to ensure they – and their vehicles
– are ready for the potential challenges of
driving in winter.
In this first of four advice notices, GEM
road safety officer Neil Worth answers ques-
tions on driving safely in times of heavy
rain and flood:
What’s the maximum
depth of water I can drive
through safely?
Driving through any depth of water can
be dangerous. Even just six inches – or
15cm of water – will reach the bottom of
most passenger cars. Above this depth you
can lose control or stall the engine because
water can be sucked into the exhaust or
washed into the air intake.
How can I reduce the
risk of stalling?
If you are driving a manual car, press the
clutch down slightly at the same time as
pressing the accelerator. This will help the
car move along slowly and should keep
water out of the exhaust pipe. Stay in the
same gear throughout the flood. In an au-
tomatic car, you can consider keeping your
foot on the accelerator while using your
lowest gear, but control the speed with your
footbrake.
What if I stall in a flood?
Don’t attempt to restart the engine as
you will risk severe damage. You’ll need
to remove the injectors or plugs to get rid
of any water – so the best thing to do is to
get out of your vehicle and wade to higher
ground, especially if the water is rising.
Then, if you’re a GEM member, call us when
it’s safe – if you’re not, then call your own
breakdown recovery provider.
don’t attempt to
‘ restart
the engine ’
What should I do when
I’m through a flood?
You’ll need to make sure your brakes are
effective – dry them by applying them gen-
tly and taking it easy for a few miles after
the flood.
Check out GEM’s free safety video on
driving through floods. There is informa-
tion on driving in flooded areas, tips on
maximum depths of water and paying heed
to warnings and road blocks. You’ll find the
video online at www.motoringassist.com/
drivinginfloods
GEM has extensive advice on winter
driving techniques. You’ll find a video,
leaflet, tips and a free eBook download
at www.motoringassist.com/winter-
driving
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
THE OFFICIAL UK TRAINING
PROVIDER OF WINDOW,
DOOR AND CONSERVATORY
PRODUCTS LAUNCHED
Until now, there has been limited in-
dustry-recognised training providers for win-
dow, door and conservatory products. All that
has changed with the launch of Pro-Fitter.
The initiative is the brainchild of Pro-Fit-
ter’s Director, Lou Leka, who says: “Many
certifications exist in our industry but none
offer bespoke training that allow people
to learn in a controlled environment and
have their competency levels assessed. We
are not another Competent Person Scheme.
We are not a Vocational College. We teach
hands on skills and ability and provide the
lessons to give the ability and confidence to
carry out specific work.”
In short, he says: “Becoming a Pro-Fit-
ter separates you from your peers and
competitors and gives homeowners and
businesses confidence in you.”
Pro-Fitter is a GQA-accredited and
recognised training centre and a CITB
recognised training organisation that is
supported by some of the biggest names
in the industry including Eurocell, Spectus,
AluK, Würth Group, Synseal and Hurst
Plastics. Plus, certain elements of the
Pro-Fitter Assessments fulfil NVQ require-
ments to enable direct progression onto
NVQ courses.
www.profitter.org.uk
Apprenticeships are plummeting
because of Apprenticeship Levy
Apprenticeship starts are falling
because of the Apprenticeship Levy which
needs to be made more flexible, according
to the Federation of Master Builders.
The FMB’s reaction is in response to
statistics published by the Department for
Education, which show that there has been
a 24% fall in apprenticeship starts for the
2017/18 academic year compared with the
previous academic year.
Commenting on the figures, Brian Berry,
Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “Appren-
ticeships are falling and the Government
must take urgent action to reverse the
decline. At the recent Conservative Party
Conference, the Government announced
much-needed reforms to the Apprenticeship
Levy, but these do not go far enough. From
April 2019, large firms will be allowed to
pass 25 per cent of Levy vouchers down
through the supply chain to smaller firms but
the FMB is calling for this to be increased
to 100 per cent. This is an important change
because in construction, it’s the smaller firms
that train more than two thirds of all appren-
tices. Conversely, large firms don’t tend to
directly employ or train tradespeople. If the
Government is serious about creating three
million quality apprenticeships by 2020, it
must ensure the Apprenticeship Levy works
for the construction industry.”
www.fmb.org.uk