Road Patrol Training for Excellence 2024 

This year, from 22 to 25 October, patrol boats from 16 countries competed in Brussels. In the space of four days, the breakdown teams faced a range of specific situations, from working on a battery (the most common cause of a breakdown) to dealing with a breakdown on an electric car, a combustion-powered car or a motorbike.

In addition, participants received applied technical training covering several types of vehicle, including electric vehicles. One of the highlights of this year’s event was the workshop led by experts from Mercedes-Benz, who presented their ‘Flying Doctor’ service. This service mobilises expert mechanics capable of diagnosing and repairing a wide range of Mercedes-Benz models, particularly those in the AMG series.

In practical terms, each patrol took three theory tests and six practical tests. Each test involved working on a specific fault, making the correct diagnosis and getting the vehicle back on the road within 20 minutes.

This year, the TCS patrol (Switzerland), made up of Vivien Robin and Raphaël Bergera, won the title of ‘Patrol of the Year’ with 744 points, ahead of the British team (The AA UK) with 732 and the Dutch ANWB with 717.

647 points for the ACL

The ACL team from Luxembourg, made up of Alex Lanners and Jacinto Ferreira, came a fine 7th with 647 points. This is one place better than last year, when the OMKYT team won the Road Patrol Training for Excellence in Slovenia. It’s worth noting that the ranking between 5th and 7th place is fairly close, which shows that the competition was tough and came down to the last detail. It also shows that, despite its size, ACL is just as competent (if not more so) than larger clubs.

Above and beyond the competition, this type of event gives patrollers the opportunity to learn from the best, to exchange ideas and to improve both their practical and theoretical knowledge. It’s also a chance to find out how other patrollers feel about using specific tools.

The rankings in detail: