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Hi Jack

I'm just preparing a safe driving policy for our company and have been asked by one of the employees about some guidelines for driving in snow and ice conditions in a vehicle with ABS brakes that cannot be turned off - can you assist please

No ABS braking system can be turned off - which is a very good thing.
ABS (Anti-locking Braking System) will prevent the vehicle's wheels from locking up and skidding. This allows the driver to continue to have some steering control when braking.
In vehicles without ABS, the brakes will lock the wheels in slippery conditions, causing the car to skid and giving the driver no ability to steer the car while braking.
I can't think of a single reason why someone would ask about turning ABS off.

I can think of a few reasons for turning off ABS in ice and snow. Clear from the response of the AA that you have very little experiance of driving in Ice and Snow conditions.

Correct response would be drive with care and drive at a speed where you will not require the use of brakes. Treat the brakes as an enermy thats going to take you off the road.

No car has the ability to turn off the ABS. We agree that driving at a speed that will require minimal braking is the safest approach, but cannot agree that turning off the ABS (if that was possible) makes any sense.

Thanks guys - but I think the question of whether the ABS can be turned off or not is a red herring - given we accept that it cannot I am looking for some guidelines for driving in ice and snow with ABS particularly if the driving manner differs from a vehicle without ABS. Recent experience indicated that pumping the brakes is not a good idea and can result in violent swaying from side to side from the vehicle (a Ssang Rexton) whereas gentle and steady application of brakes provided a better response - any further comments...?

The advice for driving on ice and snow is the same for vehicles with or without ABS. There is never any need to pump the brakes on a vehicle fitted with ABS, as the system pulsates the braking much faster than you can pump the pedal yourself.
Essentially, the advice is;
Drive at a speed that is safe for the conditions. On ice and snow, this will usually be very slow.
Keep any steering, braking and acceleration inputs to a minimum. ie; don't accelerate hard, turn sharp or brake heavily - gently does it!
Finally, it is highly recommended to use chains, and if you are planning to use the vehicle on ice and snow regularly, snow tyres may even be an option.

That's great - thank you