Is the IAM for me?
Discussion
Since stepping into a more powerful, competent car from my old warm hatch, I've been thinking about focussing on my driving skills.
I've always considered myself an attentive and "interested" driver, i.e. interested in the act of driving and take pride in doing it well. I feel as though I'm far more attentive and alert than the average, uninterested motorist, and enjoy driving to the conditions keeping things as smooth and swift as possible.
But upon reading the IAM website, it makes me wonder whether this is something for me. It loudly states the public's support for speed cameras, and generally seems quite focussed on accident stats, ROSPA stuff, assuaging the fear/lack of confidence in newer drivers, etc.
I want to learn more about safe, smooth, quick driving - the safest overtakes, good road positioning - driving to the conditions, not some arbitrary number on a pole that has often been dramatically reduced by the local authority for no obvious reason.
What can I expect from an IAM course & advanced driving test? Is it really going to be a wheel-shuffling experience from the same school of thought as the nannying and patronisingly obvious "tips" offered by their top instructor, or is it going to be a practical, relevant experience?
I've always considered myself an attentive and "interested" driver, i.e. interested in the act of driving and take pride in doing it well. I feel as though I'm far more attentive and alert than the average, uninterested motorist, and enjoy driving to the conditions keeping things as smooth and swift as possible.
But upon reading the IAM website, it makes me wonder whether this is something for me. It loudly states the public's support for speed cameras, and generally seems quite focussed on accident stats, ROSPA stuff, assuaging the fear/lack of confidence in newer drivers, etc.
I want to learn more about safe, smooth, quick driving - the safest overtakes, good road positioning - driving to the conditions, not some arbitrary number on a pole that has often been dramatically reduced by the local authority for no obvious reason.
What can I expect from an IAM course & advanced driving test? Is it really going to be a wheel-shuffling experience from the same school of thought as the nannying and patronisingly obvious "tips" offered by their top instructor, or is it going to be a practical, relevant experience?
If you sign up for a course you'll usually be assigned an observer to help you get to test standard, and the quality and attitude of that observer could be the biggest influence on how well you get on.
The main website or public face of the IAM (and also RoSPA) doesn't necessarily accurately reflect the opinions and concerns of the observers, many of whom are real enthusiasts. There's also a wider advanced driving community beyond the well-known organisations whose thoughts about improvement are pretty much in line with yours.
How about stating your location, and going out for a drive with a PH advanced driver? Something like this perhaps.
The main website or public face of the IAM (and also RoSPA) doesn't necessarily accurately reflect the opinions and concerns of the observers, many of whom are real enthusiasts. There's also a wider advanced driving community beyond the well-known organisations whose thoughts about improvement are pretty much in line with yours.
How about stating your location, and going out for a drive with a PH advanced driver? Something like this perhaps.
stroberaver said:
I want to learn more about safe, smooth, quick driving - the safest overtakes, good road positioning - driving to the conditions, not some arbitrary number on a pole that has often been dramatically reduced by the local authority for no obvious reason.
You sound like exactly the sort of person the IAM should be there for. Contact your local group and see if they offer any sort of taster if you want to find out more before you commit your £139. Talk to them. Let them know what brought you to them and what you want to get out of it. That might help them assign you an observer they think you'll get on with. Always remember that if you don't get on with your observer for any reason you can ask for a different one. Don't be surprised that they will expect all the driving to be conducted within the law.What the others said, but importantly: forget about the attitude towards legal compliance. It is basically irrelevant.
The IAM will teach you how to drive safely and make progress within legal parameters. This includes, for example, good overtaking technique. They are the same techniques that should be used if you decided to exceed those parameters.
How you then apply what you've learnt is up to you.
The IAM will teach you how to drive safely and make progress within legal parameters. This includes, for example, good overtaking technique. They are the same techniques that should be used if you decided to exceed those parameters.
How you then apply what you've learnt is up to you.
Another option you may to wish to consider is HPC. It is costlier than the IAM, but HPC's professional coaches (gatekeepers as they are called in HPC) will accelerate your learning. They focus on developing very solid foundations in roadcraft, without being dogmatic and whilst making the learning experience fun.
www.hpc.org.uk or feel free to PM me.
I should add that a good number of HPC members come via the IAM or RoSPA.
Cheers
www.hpc.org.uk or feel free to PM me.
I should add that a good number of HPC members come via the IAM or RoSPA.
Cheers
TBH none of the IAM stuff is rocket science, it's mostly fairly obvious but what it should do (you need to be the right sort of person) is think more about your own driving including what you do wrong.
Anyone that thinks or states they are a great driver isn't suitable.
In my younger years , I also found it helped relax nervous passengers and allowed access to some interesting cars - people feel safer lending something quick if you have done the IAM stuff!
I was also lucky enough to do some Police driver training as part of a temp job (!) - it wasn't the full course but it was an intensive couple of days and it covered a lot of useful stuff. They should "sell" the courses commercially to raise some more cash I reckon!!
Anyone that thinks or states they are a great driver isn't suitable.
In my younger years , I also found it helped relax nervous passengers and allowed access to some interesting cars - people feel safer lending something quick if you have done the IAM stuff!
I was also lucky enough to do some Police driver training as part of a temp job (!) - it wasn't the full course but it was an intensive couple of days and it covered a lot of useful stuff. They should "sell" the courses commercially to raise some more cash I reckon!!
The local IAM group of which I am a member offers a 1 hour assessment drive if someone join the group as a Friend for 10. Carried out by our Chief Observer with a written report at the end. If the person signs up for Skill For Life within 6 months we refund the 10 and they become a full group member.
Many of the committee and members disagree with some of the views expressed by the IAM and also with some of the things it supports. However, being involved with the IAM and the local group enables us to assist people who want to assess their driving and perhaps ensure that it is at least at the standard necessary to pass the IAM test. The local IAM examiner also presents a (free) Saturday theory course as an introduction to improving standards of driving.
Many of the committee and members disagree with some of the views expressed by the IAM and also with some of the things it supports. However, being involved with the IAM and the local group enables us to assist people who want to assess their driving and perhaps ensure that it is at least at the standard necessary to pass the IAM test. The local IAM examiner also presents a (free) Saturday theory course as an introduction to improving standards of driving.
I have a lot of sympathy for the OP's perspective. Whilst the IAM isn't perfect, however, everyone I know who's completed Skills for Life has found it valuable.
If the OP is concerned if the IAM is the right choice, how about doing an "IAM Drive Check Plus" as a taster:
www.iam.org.uk/component/cddcart/product/27
£35 for an hour or so with a police Class 1 strikes me as amazingly good value! What's to lose?
If the OP is concerned if the IAM is the right choice, how about doing an "IAM Drive Check Plus" as a taster:
www.iam.org.uk/component/cddcart/product/27
£35 for an hour or so with a police Class 1 strikes me as amazingly good value! What's to lose?
OP - yes. If you have the desire to learn and improve, any path is a good one. What you are after is a coach. There are numerous alternatives available and they can be tailored to suit your pocket and preferences.
- Join the forum at advanced-driving.co.uk and invite yourself along to one of the many driving days. Completely free, apart from your fuel and food. These are very occasionally run under a Pistonheads banner too, but very infrequently. Very few attendees on these days are professionals, but all are enthusiasts and some are very knowledgeable indeed. All creeds are represented.
- Go to an appropriate bookstore (High Street or online) and purchase Roadcraft. Study, apply, and improve.
- Join RoADAR - normally somewhere in the vicinity of £25 or less. Take tuition and if you desire, a test.
- Join the IAM - ditto but £139.
- Professional coaches of various types, quality and cost. Companies such as RideDrive offer easy to understand packages, but even your local ADI may have an "advanced" string to their bow. Have a look around. The HPC gatekeepers fall into this category, right at the top end.
- The full HPC entry course. For many, this is a step too far as an initial foray, but it can work for some.
- Join the forum at advanced-driving.co.uk and invite yourself along to one of the many driving days. Completely free, apart from your fuel and food. These are very occasionally run under a Pistonheads banner too, but very infrequently. Very few attendees on these days are professionals, but all are enthusiasts and some are very knowledgeable indeed. All creeds are represented.
- Go to an appropriate bookstore (High Street or online) and purchase Roadcraft. Study, apply, and improve.
- Join RoADAR - normally somewhere in the vicinity of £25 or less. Take tuition and if you desire, a test.
- Join the IAM - ditto but £139.
- Professional coaches of various types, quality and cost. Companies such as RideDrive offer easy to understand packages, but even your local ADI may have an "advanced" string to their bow. Have a look around. The HPC gatekeepers fall into this category, right at the top end.
- The full HPC entry course. For many, this is a step too far as an initial foray, but it can work for some.
There's some sound advice here, especially from Mr Grayson.
The IAM does have a bit of a beard-and-sandals image but this is partly due to the observers frequently being retired driving enthusiasts & a bit geeky. It's really not all about push-pull steering. My observer was a retired police & ambulance driver who enjoyed his driving immensely & wanted to share this. He quite understood my desire to be quicker but taught me to be safer & smoother too.
The IAM & RoSPA are both charities who cannot condone breaking the law in any way.
Have a search on YouTube for some videos of advanced driving. Chris Gilbert would be a good place to start. Roadcraft is the base on which all the above are built up.
The IAM does have a bit of a beard-and-sandals image but this is partly due to the observers frequently being retired driving enthusiasts & a bit geeky. It's really not all about push-pull steering. My observer was a retired police & ambulance driver who enjoyed his driving immensely & wanted to share this. He quite understood my desire to be quicker but taught me to be safer & smoother too.
The IAM & RoSPA are both charities who cannot condone breaking the law in any way.
Have a search on YouTube for some videos of advanced driving. Chris Gilbert would be a good place to start. Roadcraft is the base on which all the above are built up.
The fact you've started this thread shows you want to improve your driving and that's the most important thing. If you drive like you say you do you'll fit in very well in the AD community at large.
You clearly have concerns over the content of the course though but like others have said, it mostly depends on the observer you're assigned; it could be a PHer or it could be someone quite different. The IAM and Rospa (Roadar), being road safety charities, cannot condone breaking the law so obeying numbers on sticks will be something you'll have to put up with. These courses are primarily there to improve safety so that will be the focus, but smoothness and progress (in that order) are still very important factors. You'll be encouraged to pick the lane of least resistance, take opportunities and accelerate firmly to speed limits where safe to do so.
You should be taught about overtaking principles (the overtake triangle), as well as positioning for safety, stability and view, and be expected to demonstrate these on test. You will probably also be encouraged to consider pull-push steering. Learn to do it properly before dismissing it, then you can make he decision as to if and when you want to carry on using it post test.
The IAM and Rospa courses are based on Roadcraft which is the basis used to train police drivers. A good first step would be to buy a copy and give it a read.
You clearly have concerns over the content of the course though but like others have said, it mostly depends on the observer you're assigned; it could be a PHer or it could be someone quite different. The IAM and Rospa (Roadar), being road safety charities, cannot condone breaking the law so obeying numbers on sticks will be something you'll have to put up with. These courses are primarily there to improve safety so that will be the focus, but smoothness and progress (in that order) are still very important factors. You'll be encouraged to pick the lane of least resistance, take opportunities and accelerate firmly to speed limits where safe to do so.
You should be taught about overtaking principles (the overtake triangle), as well as positioning for safety, stability and view, and be expected to demonstrate these on test. You will probably also be encouraged to consider pull-push steering. Learn to do it properly before dismissing it, then you can make he decision as to if and when you want to carry on using it post test.
The IAM and Rospa courses are based on Roadcraft which is the basis used to train police drivers. A good first step would be to buy a copy and give it a read.
gaz1234 said:
IAM? a cock?
At risk of feeding the troll, would you care to elaborate? Have you met all 90-something thousand members of the IAM or even done the course?I'm not doubting that there are IAM members who are cocks, there are bound to be, but does that mean there is no worth whatsoever in the content of the course?
Thanks to all (except one 
) for the helpful replies.
I didn't mean to give the wrong impression about speed - I'm not a speed merchant by any means, I'm just conscious of the way things are going which often sees limits being reduced to unrealistic levels (imho by nannying, anti-car local authorities, but I'll leave the politics out of this!) where previous 50/60/NSL limit was perfectly appropriate. I rarely speed and wouldn't expect (or want!) to while studying advanced driving, I was thinking more about "making progress" which doesn't necessarily involve speeding, but to me can mean accelerating swiftly up to the limits, cornering faster due to better road positioning/visibility and increased observation/awareness of hazards up ahead.
I'll certainly contact my local group to see if they offer a taster course (I'm in the North East, which sadly makes the HPC route a bit of a trek to get to the hunting grounds of their "gatekeepers"!). That Drive Check Plus for £35 sounds tempting too. I'm not expecting a high performance car handling course (although I'd dearly love to have a go around Milbrook and suchlike!), for me it's about acquiring a driving standard that becomes second nature so I'm doing it without even trying/realising, and allows me to "make progress" when I wish with less risk of me misjudging and cocking up and doing something stupid.
I think I have a copy of Roadcraft from about 15 years ago (I've been driving for 16 years). Does the advice evolve much between editions/updates? It seems like a fair amount of the IAM tuition/advice seems to focus on clutch-work and smoothness - not sure how I can make use of that now that I have a DCT 'box!
) for the helpful replies.I didn't mean to give the wrong impression about speed - I'm not a speed merchant by any means, I'm just conscious of the way things are going which often sees limits being reduced to unrealistic levels (imho by nannying, anti-car local authorities, but I'll leave the politics out of this!) where previous 50/60/NSL limit was perfectly appropriate. I rarely speed and wouldn't expect (or want!) to while studying advanced driving, I was thinking more about "making progress" which doesn't necessarily involve speeding, but to me can mean accelerating swiftly up to the limits, cornering faster due to better road positioning/visibility and increased observation/awareness of hazards up ahead.
I'll certainly contact my local group to see if they offer a taster course (I'm in the North East, which sadly makes the HPC route a bit of a trek to get to the hunting grounds of their "gatekeepers"!). That Drive Check Plus for £35 sounds tempting too. I'm not expecting a high performance car handling course (although I'd dearly love to have a go around Milbrook and suchlike!), for me it's about acquiring a driving standard that becomes second nature so I'm doing it without even trying/realising, and allows me to "make progress" when I wish with less risk of me misjudging and cocking up and doing something stupid.
I think I have a copy of Roadcraft from about 15 years ago (I've been driving for 16 years). Does the advice evolve much between editions/updates? It seems like a fair amount of the IAM tuition/advice seems to focus on clutch-work and smoothness - not sure how I can make use of that now that I have a DCT 'box!
Roadcraft evolves, rather than changing radically. If your copy is 15 years old it should be the last edition (which was printed twice with different covers - nerd alert 
) and the System of Car Control, which is the basis of everything else, is unchanged between that and the current edition. If it's the older 1977 edition (known as the "blue book"), then there have been substantial changes. Some believe the older edition is better, but if you want to be current, and talk the same language as current instructors do, you should have one of the last 2 editions.
Nerd reference
) and the System of Car Control, which is the basis of everything else, is unchanged between that and the current edition. If it's the older 1977 edition (known as the "blue book"), then there have been substantial changes. Some believe the older edition is better, but if you want to be current, and talk the same language as current instructors do, you should have one of the last 2 editions.Nerd reference
stroberaver said:
I was thinking more about "making progress" which doesn't necessarily involve speeding, but to me can mean accelerating swiftly up to the limits, cornering faster due to better road positioning/visibility and increased observation/awareness of hazards up ahead.
...for me it's about acquiring a driving standard that becomes second nature so I'm doing it without even trying/realising, and allows me to "make progress" when I wish with less risk of me misjudging and cocking up and doing something stupid.
It is, or can be, exactly about this....for me it's about acquiring a driving standard that becomes second nature so I'm doing it without even trying/realising, and allows me to "make progress" when I wish with less risk of me misjudging and cocking up and doing something stupid.
I say 'can be'... Local groups all vary, and remember that the typical IAM member is probably middle aged, not had any tuition for a long time, and wants to improve general technique. They may complete the course and not make better progress on the roads afterwards, because it isn't their objective. The typical areas focused on whilst training the average associate may reflect this.
To do IAM you need to take on board plenty of stuff not directly related to progress, so you cannot be single minded about it, and this is no bad thing: the other stuff will improve your driving. However it is also possible to get what you want. You need to actively shape your tuition to your desires. Observers/mentors will ask you what you want to learn, and if they don't, tell them.
I wouldn't say I quite managed this myself, but the whole experience did propel me in that direction. Post IAM, I find myself overtaking stuff (mostly legally FWIW) most days, which is not something I used to have the competence or confidence to do. I was taught the limit point which also helped me make better progress, and in general my attitude shifted towards making more safe progress - although I kind of always had that attitude.
I'm a newbie here (hi!) and am really happy to find, almost top of list, the very first subject I had in mind :-).
I actually feel quite confident driving but am sure there are things I could improve on. Most importantly is how to cope with slippy conditions, first and foremost safety wise. I have driven quite a bit on snow and ice but usually in an AWD and have never had any training for it. Would IAM be a good place to start, or should I look elsewhere?
I actually feel quite confident driving but am sure there are things I could improve on. Most importantly is how to cope with slippy conditions, first and foremost safety wise. I have driven quite a bit on snow and ice but usually in an AWD and have never had any training for it. Would IAM be a good place to start, or should I look elsewhere?
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