News

With the cold snap continuing, Land Rover vehicles are out in action across the UK helping the British Red Cross and emergency services reach vulnerable people.

As well as loaning vehicles, Land Rover has provided specialist winter driving training to volunteers from the Red Cross and London Ambulance Service who have been using Land Rover vehicles to respond to emergencies that would otherwise be difficult to access. The same course is now available to members of the public through Land Rover Experience centres nationwide.

When snow fell last weekend, Red Cross ambulance crews responded to 999 emergency calls in Land Rover Defender ambulances. Teams worked from bases in Redhill in Surrey and Winchester in Hampshire to ensure vital support got to people in need – wherever they were. And 4x4 ambulances were on duty in Derbyshire and Leicester, supporting the East Midlands Ambulance Service.

Volunteers from the fire and emergency support service (FESS) in Surrey used a Land Rover support vehicle to tackle difficult snowy conditions to reach a couple who’d been forced to flee their home following a fire. And in Essex, nurses unable to get to work through heavy snow were transported by Red Cross vehicles.

Emergency teams in Kent and Surrey used their Land Rovers to take care workers to their clients and make house-calls to check on the welfare of vulnerable older people, ensuring that they received personal care and hot meals.

Land Rover Experience is also launching a special winter driving course at its 10 centres across the UK, including Solihull in the West Midlands, Halewood on Merseyside and Gaydon in Warwickshire. The half-day course is delivered by trained instructors to prepare drivers for severe weather, advising on the best techniques to negotiate icy, snowy and wet conditions safely and effectively. There is also some timely advice on how to tackle deep water for when the thaw comes.

Topics covered include choosing the correct tyres, vehicle preparation, essential kit to carry and how to use the vehicle’s controls and make the most of Land Rover’s unique Terrain Response™ system in slippery conditions. Hands-on experience comes in one of the Experience Centre’s vehicles on suitable terrain.