Demopolis first responders received training Thursday to help them learn how to control a skidding vehicle.

The Demopolis Police Department and Demopolis Fire and Rescue participated in SkidCar Training on Thursday at Demopolis High School.

“It helps our public safety officials to be able to handle any kind of situation in a car,” DPD Chief Tommie Reese said. “It’s really good training. We encounter a lot of rain in this part of the country, and we have to be able to handle the situation and maneuver the car.”

Stan Fant, SkidCar coordinator for the Alabama Municipal Insurance Corporation, said the training provides law enforcement with an opportunity to see how a car reacts with loss of control.

“The way our car is set up, it takes the traction away from the tires, so the driver can experience at low speeds what can happen at high speeds,” Fant said. “It teaches the driver how to avoid loss of control. We can show them better driving techniques, help them understand weight transfer, and most importantly, help them make good decisions quickly.”

Fant said that, while in the car, the instructor is critiquing hand and eye position while the driver goes through the course, and helping the driver become more aware of how to react to different situations.