'Young' advanced drivers.
Discussion
Morning all.
Perhaps I'm a little out of my demographic here, but I'm currently (and very happily) plodding my way through the first stages of the IAM course, aged 22.
The IAM course was always something I've wanted to do, since the day I passed my test - rather than the get-your-insurance-down PassPlus. Also, I've recently learned of the IAM masters... insert ooOOOooo etc.
Having been involved in a couple of misdemeanors over the last 12 months I decided that my driving, after 4 years and 100,000 miles, needed honing.
So, a bit of feedback from the masses please - what's peoples' opinions about a yoof such as myself learning a somewhat sparcely distributed skill (for life)? The team at my local IAM group didn't bat an eyelid when I turned up for the first time, so perhaps it's not as rare as I first thought?
Perhaps I'm a little out of my demographic here, but I'm currently (and very happily) plodding my way through the first stages of the IAM course, aged 22.
The IAM course was always something I've wanted to do, since the day I passed my test - rather than the get-your-insurance-down PassPlus. Also, I've recently learned of the IAM masters... insert ooOOOooo etc.
Having been involved in a couple of misdemeanors over the last 12 months I decided that my driving, after 4 years and 100,000 miles, needed honing.
So, a bit of feedback from the masses please - what's peoples' opinions about a yoof such as myself learning a somewhat sparcely distributed skill (for life)? The team at my local IAM group didn't bat an eyelid when I turned up for the first time, so perhaps it's not as rare as I first thought?
22 isn't "young" at all!
Our group has had at least 3 associates younger than yourself pass the IAM test in the last three months. One was a young lady who started the IAM course 3 months after passing her DSA test at the age of 17.
So, no, don't think of yourself as being too young for this. The IAM needs members of your age group otherwise it's in danger of falling off a demographic cliff at which point it won't have any members still alive!
Our group has had at least 3 associates younger than yourself pass the IAM test in the last three months. One was a young lady who started the IAM course 3 months after passing her DSA test at the age of 17.
So, no, don't think of yourself as being too young for this. The IAM needs members of your age group otherwise it's in danger of falling off a demographic cliff at which point it won't have any members still alive!
Edited by johnao on Saturday 5th October 21:03
I am 21.
I passed my IAM when i was 18.
As of this week i have achieved ROSPA gold. (see thread below)
And hopefully next week i will pass the only accredited chauffeur course in the world!
Advanced driving certainly isnt something requiring a grey beard.
If anything its easier to do when youre young because you dont have all the bad habits.
Best of luck!
I passed my IAM when i was 18.
As of this week i have achieved ROSPA gold. (see thread below)
And hopefully next week i will pass the only accredited chauffeur course in the world!
Advanced driving certainly isnt something requiring a grey beard.
If anything its easier to do when youre young because you dont have all the bad habits.
Best of luck!
Benbay001 said:
If anything its easier to do when youre young because you dont have all the bad habits.
Best of luck!
^ this. I started advanced driving in my twenties and this was my experience too. Definitely a great thing to do, because it certainly saved me from the usual young driver accidents.Best of luck!
johnao said:
22 isn't "young" at all!
Our group has had at least 3 associates younger than yourself pass the IAM test in the last three months. One was a young lady who started the IAM course 3 months after passing her DVLA test at the age of 17.
So, no, don't think of yourself as being too young for this. The IAM needs members of your age group otherwise it's in danger of falling off a demographic cliff at which point it won't have any members still alive!
fromn the point of beingtoo young to do AD - that's rubbish there's planety of young people who do AD as part of their job - the difference being that their certificate has a different organisation's name on top and they do more - whether that;'s response driving for the 999 services or the various stuff that military drivers do ( STGO through to response driving via all kinds of off orad and/or tactical )Our group has had at least 3 associates younger than yourself pass the IAM test in the last three months. One was a young lady who started the IAM course 3 months after passing her DVLA test at the age of 17.
So, no, don't think of yourself as being too young for this. The IAM needs members of your age group otherwise it's in danger of falling off a demographic cliff at which point it won't have any members still alive!
any organisation needs a spread of ages in membership - in a none AD setting a voluntary organisation i've had a lot to do with does seem to have a couple of 'bulges' in membership - which refelcts people with available time / lesser other commitments - the bulges being under 25 ( students and /or no kids , junior jobs etc ) and 'empty nesters' ...
AD and the IAM in particular does a bit of an image problem - as for the uninformed layman 'civilian' AD is the IAM despite the existance of RoADAR and other groups ...
As stated, best to start early if you can. I achieved it at 17 and was an observer at 18.
Because of this 'the system' has always been fundamental to my driving pretty much since day one. Although intuition has a lot to do with it I owe a lot to, not only my own driving but to my career by starting early.
I never received any negativity at all to doing it as a youngster from either the fellow observers or drivers.
Commit, submerse yourself in it and I'm sure you'll do well.
Because of this 'the system' has always been fundamental to my driving pretty much since day one. Although intuition has a lot to do with it I owe a lot to, not only my own driving but to my career by starting early.
I never received any negativity at all to doing it as a youngster from either the fellow observers or drivers.
Commit, submerse yourself in it and I'm sure you'll do well.
Edited by Neil.D on Saturday 5th October 23:07
Thanks for the response - as has been the consensus people seem to be move positive to see the younger driver wanting to improve their driving skill.
I'm in the Lichfield branch - I've only had 2 lessons so far, with 2 different instructors - the most recent I had the Lichfield chairman and an observer-in-training in the car also.
I would like to become an observer in the future, but one step at a time, I guess!
I'm in the Lichfield branch - I've only had 2 lessons so far, with 2 different instructors - the most recent I had the Lichfield chairman and an observer-in-training in the car also.
I would like to become an observer in the future, but one step at a time, I guess!
OGR4M said:
Thanks for the response - as has been the consensus people seem to be move positive to see the younger driver wanting to improve their driving skill.
I'm in the Lichfield branch - I've only had 2 lessons so far, with 2 different instructors - the most recent I had the Lichfield chairman and an observer-in-training in the car also.
I would like to become an observer in the future, but one step at a time, I guess!
Us observers do not like being called instructors because we are not and they are not lessonsI'm in the Lichfield branch - I've only had 2 lessons so far, with 2 different instructors - the most recent I had the Lichfield chairman and an observer-in-training in the car also.
I would like to become an observer in the future, but one step at a time, I guess!
Personally I think it works better with having the same observer every time but groups that use multiples seem to get good results and that is the object at the end of the day
I'm 20 and going through IAM at the moment. I've been recommended to go for my test so got to get that booked up (and cross my fingers I do well enough 
)
To be honest my only regret is that I didn't do this sooner. I think my quality of driving is much better than when I passed my test, and to be honest I think I enjoy driving more because of IAM (and other associated activities within the advanced driving community).
) To be honest my only regret is that I didn't do this sooner. I think my quality of driving is much better than when I passed my test, and to be honest I think I enjoy driving more because of IAM (and other associated activities within the advanced driving community).
Dalto123 said:
and other associated activities within the advanced driving community).
Hi Dalto123, would the other associated activities be AD UK days or the annual HPC Young Driver Day?SVS said:
Hi Dalto123, would the other associated activities be AD UK days or the annual HPC Young Driver Day?
It would be both! Done a few of the ADUK Days - did the HPC YDD last year (really kick started the whole Advanced Driving for me!) - My aim is to join to HPC Gassing Station | Advanced Driving | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff