Advanced driving course - worth the money?

[rosaespanola]

I'm looking for advice from anyone who has done an advanced driving course in this area.

For Christmas 2009 my parents paid for me to do an advanced driving course, as I have a long commute to work so want to be as good a driver as I can. I joined a local IAM group and have been going on drives with their volunteer trainers since Jan 2010, but I've now taken my advanced driving test twice and have failed both times - the guy who did my tests said I'm a very good driver and perfectly safe, just not at what is classed as an advanced level. I don't feel that I drove any differently in my tests to how I've been driving when out with the IAM trainers, but he pointed out several things that he said I was doing wrong or not doing at all, none of which had ever been mentioned by the trainers I've been out with on practice sessions. I also found that the different trainers had a tendency to contradict each other, for example one of them would tell me something I did was wrong, and then the next trainer I went out with would tell me the opposite.

I'm pretty disheartened by the whole thing, as I really wanted to improve my driving but having spent a lot of time going out with trainers and having paid £200 for the course and two tests, I really don't want to pour endless amounts of money and time into this if I'm not actually getting anything useful out of it. Has anyone done the advanced driving course locally and found it to be useful? I'm definitely not going back to the group I've been going to, but I know there are several groups in S Yorks so I'm wondering if one of them would be better or whether they'll all be the same.

Cheers for any advice you have!

[iansheff]

I did mine years ago with the Sheffield branch of IAM and really enjoyed it, the volunteers were very good.

[kittenta]

I suppose how much it's worth depends on what you are wanting out of it?

[Flying Duck]

Have you looked at ROSPA? I don't know too much about what they offer, but I was talking to a police advanced driver who suggested that their scheme was better than IAM. One of the reasons he gave is that they insist on a re-test every few years, whereas IAM is for life. Someone who was an advanced driver 30 years ago can still volunteer even though their standard may not be as good now.

 

That said, I did my IAM through the Dronfield (or maybe Chesterfield?) branch and was impressed.

[bullerboY]

I took mine and passed fifteen Years ago and the examiner was a serving police driving instructor and examiner,The method used was a tick box sheet and you drive with an observer until there are no ticks on the sheet,a second opinion is then obtained from another observer and if they agree you are then advised to take the test,Its definately not in their interests for you to fail as it reflects on the institutes teaching.I can only conclude you are doing something wrong,they take into account nerves etc.and try to put you at ease before you go,so take a positive look at your driving and give it another go.If you are ever involved in a accident where there is a dispute as to who did what the insurane will tend to look more favourably at an advanced driver.If you pass the test you will then know you are a proficient driver.Good Luck.

[rosaespanola]

I don't agree with the person who said it's in their interests to fail people - if that was the case then surely it'd be true for ordinary driving tests as well, and no-one would ever get a driving licence.

 

Obviously I must be doing something wrong for me not to have passed the test, I'm not disputing that, but my point is that the observers I've been out with have never mentioned any of the things that the examiner failed me on. There doesn't seem much point going out with observers if I'm not getting any advice on how to improve my driving. I was told I was more than ready for the test and I don't think I drove any differently on the test than when I've been out with the observers, yet the person doing the test picked up on a lot of reasons to fail me. I'd like to know if people have had recent good experiences with any of the local IAM groups, as I'm not spending any more time and money on it if I'm not actually going to get any useful advice on improving my driving. The bit of paper saying I've passed isn't particularly important to me, what's important is being as good a driver as I can be.

[DT Ralge]

It's a shame you have not had a good experience with IAM. An alternative would have involved joining a local RoSPA group (£15 for the year, I think) and then meeting up with an observer, say, on a few Sunday afternoons and having the way pointed out to you to an Advanced test. Once your observer feels you at the required standard you may then meet up with a Senior Observer to validate the observer's judgement.

Then you pay £45, I think for the test and membership of RoSPA nationally. Your sessions with the observer cost you your time and fuel.

They are OBSERVERS generally not trainers as they may not hold an ADI badge, hence some disparity in the training delivery.

RoSPA awards three levels of pass (Gold, Silver and Bronze) and is re-tested every three years. IAM, in fairness, recommend periodic re-testing but steer clear of making it compulsory. A RoSPA Gold is generally thought of as a higher standard than IAM - so, of the surprisingly small-ish number of driving instructors that take one of these, an IAM pass is found easier than a RoSPA

Gold.

Achieving and maintaining a higher standard of driving is well worth the effort. Both IAM and RoSPA use "Roadcraft" as the standard, their Bible even.

The alternative to being guided by unpaid, volunteer observers is to pay a RoSPA Diploma holder i.e. someone who has achieved RoSPA Gold and then gone on and passed a 5-day Diploma course to be able to train to Gold standard.

[DT Ralge]

Out of interest, if i may pry, what were the reasons for not passing?

- inconsistent application of the "System"

- lack of or excessive speed/progress

- smoothness?

- hazard perception?

[rosaespanola]

Apparently I didn't look in my mirrors (I did, and I know that I did...I just mustn't have done it obviously enough for the examiner to have seen me doing it). And he said I didn't use the "system" consistently. He also mentioned several other things about my driving style which I really don't agree with, but it's impossible for someone observing to know what the driver is thinking and whether they're looking ahead and noticing things - there were several examples he gave where he said I hadn't noticed/looked at something when in fact I had (e.g. a car coming up to a junction at the side of me).

 

Thanks for the suggestions about RoSPA, I'd never heard of it before people mentioned it on here. I might have a look for a local group, it's a lot cheaper and sounds better than the IAM.

[DT Ralge]

Apparently I didn't look in my mirrors (I did, and I know that I did...I just mustn't have done it obviously enough for the examiner to have seen me doing it). And he said I didn't use the "system" consistently. He also mentioned several other things about my driving style which I really don't agree with, but it's impossible for someone observing to know what the driver is thinking and whether they're looking ahead and noticing things - there were several examples he gave where he said I hadn't noticed/looked at something when in fact I had (e.g. a car coming up to a junction at the side of me).

 

Thanks for the suggestions about RoSPA, I'd never heard of it before people mentioned it on here. I might have a look for a local group, it's a lot cheaper and sounds better than the IAM.

 

I applaud you for sticking with it. As regards letting an examiner know where you are looking, what you have seen and what you plan to do about it there can be no argument if you do an extended commentary (I.e. do far more than just the ten minutes that is optional).

If you'd like some input on reading and DVD material to work with pm me.

Also, turning your head to mirrors not only lets the examiner know you've looked, more importantly, it allows you to make effective observations rather than out-of-the-corner-of-your-eye peripheral observations.