About 

By the end of the course, you'll be able to:

• Comply with legal requirements and safe practice
• Identify risks associated with off road vehicle use
• Select and use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Understand the main causes of accidents
• Identify the controls, systems and components of your vehicle
• Perform pre-start checks
• Identify and report faults
• Prepare your vehicle for use off road
• Assess the suitability of both ground and route
• Make structured decisions about if, and how, to tackle obstacles
• Perform a failed hill climb
• Drive over a variety of terrain
• Perform an on-site risk assessment
• Identify loading and towing capacities
• Understand legal and practical requirements for travelling on a public road
• Identify the dangers of vehicle recovery/self-recovery
• Demonstrate expert decision-making about obstacles, your vehicle’s capabilities, and your own driving skills.

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.