Who else is a member?

I just rejoined 15 years after my original membership expired in 1996, just as I was about to take my test! I moved house, never got round to it, acquired 9 points as you do, and grew up, well a little.

Not arsed about insurance savings, and I'm no James May, but it just makes sense if you drive a lot for a living, and it's a challenge to be good at something.

I have been a member since 2005, i did it to make me more aware of driving and riding my bike quickly and safely. I recommend anyone to do this as it is a great help.

Did the course and test a few years back but opted not to keep my membership up for financial reasons. Definitely worthwhile (the examiner I had was a true petrol head) and RoADAR is also worth a look too.

Once you've got IAM/RoADAR under your belt, I can highly recommend spendng time with one of the http://www.hpc.org.uk Gatekeepers for the "next step up".

Chris

Just started observer training. Been a member for nearly 3 years now

Member.

Member since 2005.

I should really re-test as I'm sure I have some bad habits that have crept back in over the years

Been a member since 1978. I was very involved in my local group serving as Treasurer for number of years but marriage and working away reduced my time.

Now retired I am thinking of rejoining a group.

I also did my RoSPA test passing at Gold/class1 but I have lapsed on retests.

I was a member years ago and did my test, then all the groups sort of cut back and merged into one that was miles away so stopped going,

Altho would recommend doing it to anybody

Did the course and test a few years back but opted not to keep my membership up for financial reasons. Definitely worthwhile (the examiner I had was a true petrol head) and RoADAR is also worth a look too.

Once you've got IAM/RoADAR under your belt, I can highly recommend spendng time with one of the http://www.hpc.org.uk Gatekeepers for the "next step up".

Chris

IAM Member since 2002

Silver RoSPA member (expired) since 2003.

Deffo recommend RosPA since stricter, demands a commentary and need refresher exam every 3 years!!!

Never felt the need to join a club for drivers, my driving's perfect

It's something that's been on the radar for a while, but I'm unsure of which one will be more suited to me. Always keen to pick up tips, I'm sure I've picked up a few bad habits, I just can't stand the thought of being a 'wheel shuffler' though and going everywhere with my hands at ten to two and applying the handbrake every time I stop Or is it not about that :think:

I've always been tempted but the fact you always have to renew it screams of a rip off to me. Once your get it it's supposed to be a skill for life

Always keen to pick up tips, I'm sure I've picked up a few bad habits, I just can't stand the thought of being a 'wheel shuffler' though and going everywhere with my hands at ten to two and applying the handbrake every time I stop Or is it not about that :think:

I'll start off by saying "it's not about that" ... but ... it will largely depend on what kind of observer you have (rather than the course you choose) as to which things they decide are important and what you need to do.

The focus of advanced driving is to be able to deliver safe, systematic, smooth and progressive driving and how you achieve that is largely stylistic. For example, my own personal preference for steering is a 9 and 3 hold using fixed grip for the majority of turns and moving to pull/push where I'm in need of more lock (usually slower larger turns) whereas some people like using pull/push in all instances with a 10 to 2 grip. Nothing wrong with either approach, but the key thing for me is the end result rather than the method used to achieve it and a mistake I made when I first started out was not questioning everything I was told and taking things at face value, ie "you must do it this way because this is the correct way". A better approach, imho, is to explore the best way for me to do something that achieves the same result and also leaves me believing it is the best way and hence incorporating it as part of my driving rather than just doing it for a test. If your observer can't answer why something should be done that way to your satisfaction, then I'd be asking for another observer.

Shame you didn't mention this last year when I worked in Winchester as I could have taken you out and done my "sales pitch"

Chris

Once you've got IAM/RoADAR under your belt, I can highly recommend spending time with one of the http://www.hpc.org.uk Gatekeepers for the "next step up".

Chris

That looks good

I've always been tempted but the fact you always have to renew it screams of a rip off to me. Once your get it it's supposed to be a skill for life

The IAM is a "skill for life" and doesn't need renewing, but as with all things, unless you keep on top of it, bad habits will creep in and regular testing/focus should keep those skills up to date. FWIW, the RoADAR retest every 3 years doesn't cost anything and is covered by the annual membership fee which is a measly 20 quid a year - not sure I'd call that a rip off.

Chris

That looks good

If you want a taster view of the Club, then this may be of interest...

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/261293-hpc-young-drivers-day-2013/

Chris

The IAM is a "skill for life" and doesn't need renewing, but as with all things, unless you keep on top of it, bad habits will creep in and regular testing/focus should keep those skills up to date. FWIW, the RoADAR retest every 3 years doesn't cost anything and is covered by the annual membership fee which is a measly 20 quid a year - not sure I'd call that a rip off.

Chris

+1

Skills for life basically hopes u don't pickup bad habits and stick with wot u have learnt with the IAM.

But remember annual membership to a local group is next to nothing - and u still get FREE advice and training and only pay for the fuel!

As with RoSPA - the same, but the 3 year re-test does ensure u are always reminded of why u passed in the first place! :-)

Again, annual membership and test is not much as ScoobyChris mentioned.

PS: Just bear in mind unless u are a teenager driving a sportscar, insurance will not make that much difference

PPS: Personally, I find the training gives me more confident and able to drive the car as efficiently as possible, within the legal limits and for the car in the correct mode for the correct road conditions

That does look interesting and not that far away either. Been tempted to do something like IAM or RoADAR for a while but could never find info on it locally

Assuming you're in Swansea....

http://www.sbgam.org/ - local IAM group

http://www.southwestwalesroadar.org.uk/ - local RoADAR group

No personal experience of either of them

There's also Clive Jones (HPC Gatekeeper) in Bridgend, but imho, it's more cost-effecting to use IAM/RoADAR to get the basics sorted before going to someone like him...

Chris

A member, Observer and group contact of the Burnley group. Well worth it IMO. Discovered IAM in 98 and have observed since 2000.

I did 4 observed runs with the Bristol group in 1996, was about to take my test but moved house and never got round to it in Cardiff. My father was a policeman, so I grew up with roadcraft. My problem is I know I have bad habits due to a poor attitude, I get way too impatient. I doubt the skills for life will solve that particular problem directly, but am sure that having take the trouble to do it and spend the money I'll be more thoughtful.

My problem is I know I have bad habits due to a poor attitude, I get way too impatient. I doubt the skills for life will solve that particular problem directly, but am sure that having take the trouble to do it and spend the money I'll be more thoughtful.

Again, imho, it will come down to the quality of the observer you're assigned. If you get an observer who just wants to teach you the syllabus, there'll not be significant benefit, at least long term. The way to change someone's behaviour (again, imho ) is to change their core beliefs as it is these beliefs which determine what someone does when they're on their own.

Chris

Again, imho, it will come down to the quality of the observer you're assigned. If you get an observer who just wants to teach you the syllabus, there'll not be significant benefit, at least long term. The way to change someone's behaviour (again, imho ) is to change their core beliefs as it is these beliefs which determine what someone does when they're on their own.

Chris

Totally agree, though I suspect there would be a benefit however small even if it was delivered as a set of prescribed instructions. I know that my biggest problems are driving too close to the car in front, and occasionally exceeding a sensible speed limit (though never ever in built up areas).

I'll find out soon enough.

About ten years ago, i was looking into the IAM. This is where it goes down hill, the three different people i came accross who i knew at the time that had the advanced test thought they were some kind of driving gods, i got a chance to go for a drive with them so they could show me there wisdom of driving. Driver number 1, could not drive safely at 60mph, i even asked had he been drinking. driver 2, drove like the car like it had an on off switch for the throttle. then driver 3, thought he could do no wrong and every other driver on the road was doing wrong, even going along a strait road in a strait line at the legal speed. He then started telling me police traffic drivers cant drive. then he asked to go out with me so i drove about 8 miles in total, he said nothing the whole time, when we got back he started tearing into my driving

and saying things like, i dont know how you are still alive and not killed any other road users, when i asked him to point out exactly and explain clearly my faults so i could improve and learn, he couldn't answer. So i for one will never go near the IAM due to the attitude of the members i have crossed paths with. I would like to say the meetings with the members had nothing to do with or arranged by IAM, it had nothing to do with demo days or anything like that.

when i asked him to point out exactly and explain clearly my faults so i could improve and learn, he couldn't answer.

People do advanced driving for all sorts of reasons, but I've encountered the superiority complex a few times and it is very frustrating. It's also disappointing that he was unable to provide constructive feedback - there used to be a trend to destroy someone's driving and then rebuild it in the mould you wanted rather than analysing it in situ, but I don't especially like that because it crushes motivation and enthusiasm early on and simply clones an existing driver (without them understanding why something is being done in a particular way) rather than changing core beliefs and building on what is already there.

So i for one will never go near the IAM due to the attitude of the members i have crossed paths with. I would like to say the meetings with the members had nothing to do with or arranged by IAM, it had nothing to do with demo days or anything like that.

If you'd like to give it one more go (), I have a friend who lives near Aberdeen who would probably be happy to take you out and show you what advanced driving is really about. He's also pretty clued up when it comes to coaching too so I suspect he'll be able to give you useful feedback if you want. Let me know if you're interested...

Chris

thanks chris i may take you up on that offer some day day if i can find time, its hard for me to find time for things like that due to my job, on call every second week for a week, wife works shifts, kid and another on the way. I will be honest i was expecting to get torn a new one from forum users on here due to my post going against the grain on past posts. I did feel it was needed to say what i did and using the truth, and not adding arms and legs to the story, Sitting my class1 test did bring alot more to the table and just highlited how much you do need to beware of who's around you when driving.