Driving confidence courses… what to look for?
Discussion
Last year I had a bad accident and was lucky to survive. It was a rear end shunt on a smart motorway when someone had broken down but the lane closure had not updated (activated with a red cross). The third party must have panicked and went into the back of me by swerving the broken down vehicle. I was unable to drive for months.
Went through therapy as I was having nightmares and it helped a lot. I am still avoiding smart motorways though whenever I can and know this cannot be a long-term solution.
The accident happened when it was overcast but raining. It’s left me feeling uneasy on the road. Whenever someone tailgates me… I have a panic attack and once I had to pull over to a safety zone for a few hours.
There are plenty of driving courses out there but is there something I need to look for? Any qualifications or something to look for? I booked a skid control experience and the ex-policeman was great. Really encouraging. He could relate but we ended up talking more about his work than my challenges.
My confidence is improving slowly and I can drive motorways but sometimes it’s heart palpitations galore.
Grateful for guidance on what to look for in a course or instructor.
Went through therapy as I was having nightmares and it helped a lot. I am still avoiding smart motorways though whenever I can and know this cannot be a long-term solution.
The accident happened when it was overcast but raining. It’s left me feeling uneasy on the road. Whenever someone tailgates me… I have a panic attack and once I had to pull over to a safety zone for a few hours.
There are plenty of driving courses out there but is there something I need to look for? Any qualifications or something to look for? I booked a skid control experience and the ex-policeman was great. Really encouraging. He could relate but we ended up talking more about his work than my challenges.
My confidence is improving slowly and I can drive motorways but sometimes it’s heart palpitations galore.
Grateful for guidance on what to look for in a course or instructor.
Hi Darren
Sorry to hear of your experience - sounds like you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I would look for an instructor who has done advanced work within the fleet sector as they will also have come across post collision courses and will be used to helping you get passed this.
If I were nearer I would be willing to help you. I freelance for a company called Drivers Domain - might be worth giving them a shout.
Matt
Sorry to hear of your experience - sounds like you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I would look for an instructor who has done advanced work within the fleet sector as they will also have come across post collision courses and will be used to helping you get passed this.
If I were nearer I would be willing to help you. I freelance for a company called Drivers Domain - might be worth giving them a shout.
Matt
I think you are thinking on the right lines, that education and training will calm that part of yourself that wants to keep you alive!
As a start, I’d recommend booking yourself onto a Rospa or IAM advanced driving course.
You will learn the Roadcraft system used by the emergency services, that was created specifically to reduce their high accident rates. There should be a Police class one driver or two hanging around in those groups as well, who have tons of experience and will be able to answer your queries.
You should find as your knowledge improves, your confidence will grow and you will be able to contextualise your accident within a system of driving. Sometimes things are avoidable, sometimes s
t happens. I think the course will help you understand the balance of probabilities and how to mitigate against untoward things happening in the future, as well as open doors to future education, skills development and qualifications.
There should be lots of information evenings and talks given about road safety etc. They will also offer other extra car handling courses, including runway days, track days, skid pan courses etc. all with expert tuition. Often was brilliant fun.
So the tailgating thing, the advice is to brake extra gently, leaving extra space with the car in front, to compensate for the tailgaters lack of braking distance and give them extra time to react.
As a start, I’d recommend booking yourself onto a Rospa or IAM advanced driving course.
You will learn the Roadcraft system used by the emergency services, that was created specifically to reduce their high accident rates. There should be a Police class one driver or two hanging around in those groups as well, who have tons of experience and will be able to answer your queries.
You should find as your knowledge improves, your confidence will grow and you will be able to contextualise your accident within a system of driving. Sometimes things are avoidable, sometimes s
t happens. I think the course will help you understand the balance of probabilities and how to mitigate against untoward things happening in the future, as well as open doors to future education, skills development and qualifications. There should be lots of information evenings and talks given about road safety etc. They will also offer other extra car handling courses, including runway days, track days, skid pan courses etc. all with expert tuition. Often was brilliant fun.
So the tailgating thing, the advice is to brake extra gently, leaving extra space with the car in front, to compensate for the tailgaters lack of braking distance and give them extra time to react.
Edited by wyson on Thursday 21st April 11:04
Driversmatter said:
I would look for an instructor who has done advanced work within the fleet sector as they will also have come across post collision courses and will be used to helping you get past this.
This advice would be mine, too.It’s essential to get an expert instructor, and someone who has done advanced training within the fleet sector fits the bill.
I’m afraid I can’t agree with Wyson because IAM and ROSPA tutors aren’t professional instructors. Consequently, their coaching skills vary considerably. While some are excellent, others aren’t. It’s a lottery.
I think Salted Peanuts has it right with the IAM / RoSPA instructor comments - you can't guarantee the quality, although that's also true of commercial fleet trainers and the like too.
Try hitting up Reg Local of this parish, see what he has to say and offer - if you're in Leeds, he's up your way.
Try hitting up Reg Local of this parish, see what he has to say and offer - if you're in Leeds, he's up your way.
Salted_Peanut said:
This advice would be mine, too.
It’s essential to get an expert instructor, and someone who has done advanced training within the fleet sector fits the bill.
I’m afraid I can’t agree with Wyson because IAM and ROSPA tutors aren’t professional instructors. Consequently, their coaching skills vary considerably. While some are excellent, others aren’t. It’s a lottery.
I won’t lie, I do enjoy the dry roasted variety more. It’s essential to get an expert instructor, and someone who has done advanced training within the fleet sector fits the bill.
I’m afraid I can’t agree with Wyson because IAM and ROSPA tutors aren’t professional instructors. Consequently, their coaching skills vary considerably. While some are excellent, others aren’t. It’s a lottery.
Whilst I haven’t done professional fleet training, the IAM training I was given at least matched the quality of professional development courses I have been on for work. All but one Observer (what planet he was on I don’t know but he was shuffled out pretty quickly) were very professional even though they were volunteers. The retired police class one drivers in particular had ridiculous amounts of knowledge and made sure standards were upheld. I’d say it was a bargain for the hundred and something quid I paid. But maybe I lucked out with a good local group?
Edited by wyson on Friday 22 April 04:26
Dry roasted > Plain roasted > Salted roasted > Salt n Vinegar.
The last one doesn’t suit peanuts at all. While salted could be good, they generally use fine table salt, which I find too intense. Much prefer a sea salt myself, the minerality makes it much more palatable, but good luck asking for sea salted peanuts down the pub. Plain roasted are also rare, so it the default is dry roasted.
The last one doesn’t suit peanuts at all. While salted could be good, they generally use fine table salt, which I find too intense. Much prefer a sea salt myself, the minerality makes it much more palatable, but good luck asking for sea salted peanuts down the pub. Plain roasted are also rare, so it the default is dry roasted.
DarrenFromLeeds said:
Last year I had a bad accident and was lucky to survive. It was a rear end shunt on a smart motorway when someone had broken down but the lane closure had not updated (activated with a red cross). The third party must have panicked and went into the back of me by swerving the broken down vehicle. I was unable to drive for months.
Went through therapy as I was having nightmares and it helped a lot. I am still avoiding smart motorways though whenever I can and know this cannot be a long-term solution.
The accident happened when it was overcast but raining. It’s left me feeling uneasy on the road. Whenever someone tailgates me… I have a panic attack and once I had to pull over to a safety zone for a few hours.
There are plenty of driving courses out there but is there something I need to look for? Any qualifications or something to look for? I booked a skid control experience and the ex-policeman was great. Really encouraging. He could relate but we ended up talking more about his work than my challenges.
My confidence is improving slowly and I can drive motorways but sometimes it’s heart palpitations galore.
Grateful for guidance on what to look for in a course or instructor.
Hey Darren, sorry to hear about your trouble there. I’m trying to understand though exactly what you want to achieve? You can do all the advanced driving courses in the world - none of them will protect you from Joe Bloggs who hasn’t done any rear-ending you when you’re just out there minding your own business. Went through therapy as I was having nightmares and it helped a lot. I am still avoiding smart motorways though whenever I can and know this cannot be a long-term solution.
The accident happened when it was overcast but raining. It’s left me feeling uneasy on the road. Whenever someone tailgates me… I have a panic attack and once I had to pull over to a safety zone for a few hours.
There are plenty of driving courses out there but is there something I need to look for? Any qualifications or something to look for? I booked a skid control experience and the ex-policeman was great. Really encouraging. He could relate but we ended up talking more about his work than my challenges.
My confidence is improving slowly and I can drive motorways but sometimes it’s heart palpitations galore.
Grateful for guidance on what to look for in a course or instructor.
If you’re trying to get over that fear, as a root, then I’d say buy a car that’s strong enough to protect you. Volvo, Landrover etc (I’ve rolled the latter without a seatbelt on in a forest with 2 loaded SLRs bouncing around loose in the back. Not a scratch 😂)
If you want to learn about handling your car (you booked skid pan training so I’m leaning this way) then go and book yourself some track tuition. Learn in particular about balance of the car on a race track, how it affects mechanical grip and how your driving - acceleration, braking, turning - changes that balance and subsequently changes how much grip you have at each wheel. You’ll get a much better sense of what the car is doing under you and more importantly what it’s going to do next then it doesn’t catch you out.
Just my thoughts, I do wish you the best whatever you do!
Ricster392 said:
Hey Darren, sorry to hear about your trouble there. I’m trying to understand though exactly what you want to achieve? You can do all the advanced driving courses in the world - none of them will protect you from Joe Bloggs who hasn’t done any rear-ending you when you’re just out there minding your own business.
If you’re trying to get over that fear, as a root, then I’d say buy a car that’s strong enough to protect you. Volvo, Landrover etc (I’ve rolled the latter without a seatbelt on in a forest with 2 loaded SLRs bouncing around loose in the back. Not a scratch ??)
If you want to learn about handling your car (you booked skid pan training so I’m leaning this way) then go and book yourself some track tuition. Learn in particular about balance of the car on a race track, how it affects mechanical grip and how your driving - acceleration, braking, turning - changes that balance and subsequently changes how much grip you have at each wheel. You’ll get a much better sense of what the car is doing under you and more importantly what it’s going to do next then it doesn’t catch you out.
Just my thoughts, I do wish you the best whatever you do!
Great fun, but very little to do with road driving.If you’re trying to get over that fear, as a root, then I’d say buy a car that’s strong enough to protect you. Volvo, Landrover etc (I’ve rolled the latter without a seatbelt on in a forest with 2 loaded SLRs bouncing around loose in the back. Not a scratch ??)
If you want to learn about handling your car (you booked skid pan training so I’m leaning this way) then go and book yourself some track tuition. Learn in particular about balance of the car on a race track, how it affects mechanical grip and how your driving - acceleration, braking, turning - changes that balance and subsequently changes how much grip you have at each wheel. You’ll get a much better sense of what the car is doing under you and more importantly what it’s going to do next then it doesn’t catch you out.
Just my thoughts, I do wish you the best whatever you do!
I beg to differ. If you learn car control on track it transfers directly to car control on the road. I find myself applying much the same technique to every day driving - smooth steering brakes and go pedal, braking mostly in a straight line before making a turn, use as much of the road (lane) as possible etc etc. And it’s a massive confidence boost, which I gather is what the OP wants
Ricster392 said:
I beg to differ. If you learn car control on track it transfers directly to car control on the road. I find myself applying much the same technique to every day driving - smooth steering brakes and go pedal, braking mostly in a straight line before making a turn, use as much of the road (lane) as possible etc etc. And it’s a massive confidence boost, which I gather is what the OP wants
So why not just practice that on the road, why do you need to go on a track? Ricster392 said:
Exactly. Like asking why book a skid pan and not just use a wet road ??
Skid pan training is specifically about car control, no driving in general. Getting used to driving smoothly and braking in a straight line doesn't mean approaching the limits of grip, rather keeping further away from them.Dr Jekyll said:
Skid pan training is specifically about car control, no driving in general. Getting used to driving smoothly and braking in a straight line doesn't mean approaching the limits of grip, rather keeping further away from them.
What about car control on an icy road? What about sudden emergency manoeuvres in a wet motorway at 70mph?The runway and track days are an essential part of driver training. Skid pan training is mandatory for police drivers and also recommended by the IAM.
My next stop, when I can rub a few pennies together is a car limits course, where I’ll get tuition in my car on a runway. Got to keep it up. Driving skills need constant practice.
https://www.carlimits.com/
I’d also take a new car on said courses ASAP to understand how it behaves at its limits.
Edited by wyson on Monday 6th June 07:52
It seems to me that by far your best option is nothing to do with driving, it's psychotherapy, but you suggest you've already done that. You can always do more though.
A distant second is validation of your driving and maybe learning some habitual techniques to increase safety margins. Passing IAM or similar will be good for both of those but with caveats: it is hard and frustrating getting there and it can undermine your confidence for a time as well, so you have to really commit.
Limit handling or performance related tuition doesn't seem very relevant to your problem although not totally useless.
A distant second is validation of your driving and maybe learning some habitual techniques to increase safety margins. Passing IAM or similar will be good for both of those but with caveats: it is hard and frustrating getting there and it can undermine your confidence for a time as well, so you have to really commit.
Limit handling or performance related tuition doesn't seem very relevant to your problem although not totally useless.
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