IAM - keeping your standards up
Discussion
I've been thinking about this for a while.
I passed my IAM test last September, really enjoyed the driveouts and working on my driving. I did find things difficult though :
- keeping to the speed limits (I'm often running late and I tend to do a lot of town driving so sometimes feel I never have a chance to stretch the cars legs)
- getting cross at other people's numptiness and driving badly as a result
- having to concentrate to drive well
Definitely a case of the more you learn the more you're dissatisfied with your driving. I like to do things well so I get frustrated when I don't match up to my expectations.
Well, as time went on after my test I was thinking about things less and less (so much town driving my lane driving suffered, so much time spent in jams that I switched off, so much time spent in London that I went into city-centre mode, nipping into gaps and other little bits of naughtiness), to the extent that I don't think putting my IAM head on would instantly get me back to the standard I was at.
Oh yes, I know in theory what I should be doing, but I find it difficult to do this. Mostly, I think, out of sheer frustration of most of the driving I do.
The question is, what do I do? I told my old group I was interested in becoming an observer. I have good teaching skills so I think I could be quite useful. They have been poor about getting back to me and I have been poor about ringing them - truth be told I don't think I'm up to scratch enough to be observing atm.
So how do other people keep their driving up to scratch? I am insanely jealous of my brother who is doing his advanced motorcycle training. Birmingham Advanced Motorcyles seem a really close knit bunch, always going on ride-outs, meets, down the pub, good social side. Whereas my IAM group who shall remain nameless are mostly "older folk" whose interest in driving is limited to safety - and the monthly meetings are rarely anything interesting (I went to one that turned out to be "An armchair tour of EC2" - 2 hours of slides of London :yikes:
So, what to do?
Read Roadcraft again and have some bloody self discipline, not to mention leaving more time for journeys?
Do more fun driving so I don't get so frustrated on the roads?
Get a comfy barge so that I can jsut turn up the stereo and not let things wind me up?
Do RoSPA?
Do RideDrive?
Observe for IAM?
Are there any groups in the SE London area that have a younger membership who are petrolheads and have a social scene and regular driverouts/meets etc a la my brother's group?
What do other people do.
Sorry for the long post.
I passed my IAM test last September, really enjoyed the driveouts and working on my driving. I did find things difficult though :
- keeping to the speed limits (I'm often running late and I tend to do a lot of town driving so sometimes feel I never have a chance to stretch the cars legs)
- getting cross at other people's numptiness and driving badly as a result
- having to concentrate to drive well
Definitely a case of the more you learn the more you're dissatisfied with your driving. I like to do things well so I get frustrated when I don't match up to my expectations.
Well, as time went on after my test I was thinking about things less and less (so much town driving my lane driving suffered, so much time spent in jams that I switched off, so much time spent in London that I went into city-centre mode, nipping into gaps and other little bits of naughtiness), to the extent that I don't think putting my IAM head on would instantly get me back to the standard I was at.
Oh yes, I know in theory what I should be doing, but I find it difficult to do this. Mostly, I think, out of sheer frustration of most of the driving I do.
The question is, what do I do? I told my old group I was interested in becoming an observer. I have good teaching skills so I think I could be quite useful. They have been poor about getting back to me and I have been poor about ringing them - truth be told I don't think I'm up to scratch enough to be observing atm.
So how do other people keep their driving up to scratch? I am insanely jealous of my brother who is doing his advanced motorcycle training. Birmingham Advanced Motorcyles seem a really close knit bunch, always going on ride-outs, meets, down the pub, good social side. Whereas my IAM group who shall remain nameless are mostly "older folk" whose interest in driving is limited to safety - and the monthly meetings are rarely anything interesting (I went to one that turned out to be "An armchair tour of EC2" - 2 hours of slides of London :yikes:
So, what to do?
Read Roadcraft again and have some bloody self discipline, not to mention leaving more time for journeys?
Do more fun driving so I don't get so frustrated on the roads?
Get a comfy barge so that I can jsut turn up the stereo and not let things wind me up?
Do RoSPA?
Do RideDrive?
Observe for IAM?
Are there any groups in the SE London area that have a younger membership who are petrolheads and have a social scene and regular driverouts/meets etc a la my brother's group?
What do other people do.
Sorry for the long post.
My local group seems very similar to yours - the meetings are frequently very boring (for me), but there have been a couple of goodies - the traffic cop coming down is always funny and entertaining.
Anyway, I became an observer, and the only thing I do is the monthly runs. Everything else takes up a bit too much time and isn't quite my thing (I'm 24 yrs old).
I found that observing really does keep my standards up - because i'm ALWAYS thinking about it, rather than having just passed the test and thought nothing more of it.
Other courses will of course refresh and renew your interest, but these will (ultimately) have the same affect as the IAM - you'll do the ocurse, and then not give as much thought to it.
Good luck
Anyway, I became an observer, and the only thing I do is the monthly runs. Everything else takes up a bit too much time and isn't quite my thing (I'm 24 yrs old).
I found that observing really does keep my standards up - because i'm ALWAYS thinking about it, rather than having just passed the test and thought nothing more of it.
Other courses will of course refresh and renew your interest, but these will (ultimately) have the same affect as the IAM - you'll do the ocurse, and then not give as much thought to it.
Good luck
Plotloss said:
Do RoSPA then do the HPC...
edited to add
When I was first preparing for my IAM test, I had a 1 hour each way commute. I used to find I was pretty exhausted at the end of the day and it was aguge effort to drive to the "system". After a while, it becomes second nature.
If you are the type of driver who likes to "press on" then you need to have good observational skills.
The key thing is to practice with like minded people.
>> Edited by volvos70t5 on Wednesday 31st August 13:15
Sorry for the hijack, but I'm doing RoSPA at the moment, and one thing I'm battling with is turning into a side road without steering, changing gear and braking all at the same time. If I slow down enough beforehand to do the manoeuvre correctly, I feel I'm being a menace (and possibly a danger) to those behind me. Any helpful advice?
tobeee said:With respect, although I had a bit of trouble with not braking and changing gear at the same time, even I never attempted to steer round a bend at the same time. You should always do your braking and gear changing in a straight line, even if (like me) your driving style is still to change gear under braking.
Sorry for the hijack, but I'm doing RoSPA at the moment, and one thing I'm battling with is turning into a side road without steering, changing gear and braking all at the same time. If I slow down enough beforehand to do the manoeuvre correctly, I feel I'm being a menace (and possibly a danger) to those behind me. Any helpful advice?
tobeee said:
Sorry for the hijack, but I'm doing RoSPA at the moment, and one thing I'm battling with is turning into a side road without steering, changing gear and braking all at the same time. If I slow down enough beforehand to do the manoeuvre correctly, I feel I'm being a menace (and possibly a danger) to those behind me. Any helpful advice?
Pick the point where you want to stop braking. This focuses your mind onn where you need to start braking. Then gently off the brakes, change gear and turn.
If you're worried about your standards slipping, try an impromptu commentary in the car (when you're alone).
I don't think anybody expects you to be an advanced driver 100% of the time, in that you're always thinking IAM...IAM....IAM!!! I consider what I've learnt to be something to fall back upon. Certain things are now seamlessly integrated into my driving style (indicating when necessary, 10 to 2 on the steering wheel, overtaking), and certain other things aren't so important to me (strict adherence to speed limits is one).
The brake/gear change thing generally I do follow, but there are occassions that you can do both at the same time, for instance, a large roundabout with clear visibility at the junction onto it.
I don't think anybody expects you to be an advanced driver 100% of the time, in that you're always thinking IAM...IAM....IAM!!! I consider what I've learnt to be something to fall back upon. Certain things are now seamlessly integrated into my driving style (indicating when necessary, 10 to 2 on the steering wheel, overtaking), and certain other things aren't so important to me (strict adherence to speed limits is one).
The brake/gear change thing generally I do follow, but there are occassions that you can do both at the same time, for instance, a large roundabout with clear visibility at the junction onto it.
After the IAM I did RoSPA. Largely to satisfy myself it was no harder or different than the IAM. It isn't. I got a Gold. So can you if you want one.
And it will keep your performance up.
Perhaps afterwards follow Plotters suggestion and do HPC. I'm considering it - as a fellow PCGB member has been telling me about it and it sounds fun.
And it will keep your performance up.
Perhaps afterwards follow Plotters suggestion and do HPC. I'm considering it - as a fellow PCGB member has been telling me about it and it sounds fun.
agent006 said:
I keep meaning to try IAM. Packed RoSPA in when i kept being told that i couldn't progress further until i held the gearstick exactly the way they told me to.
I know what you mean. IAM can be dogmatic too - and seem especially so if you get an Observer that knows what to do but not necessarily understand the engineering or principles behind why.
There is even a reason for the different sorts of gearstick grip for different gear changes! (Bizarre but true) You wouldn't fail an IAM test for that though - you *would* fail for sloppy changes, of course.
PHers doing IAM stuff are likely to be ENTHUSIASTS (not all IAM candidates are!) and ENTHUSIASTS want to know all about how, what and WHY and won't accept anything less...not a problem..I'm happy to explain, myself.
If anyone is DOING an IAM course and feels they're not getting an answer feel free to 'mail me through my profile and I'll try my best. You may not agree - but at least you'll have had an answer!
JonRB said:
Sorry for the hijack, but I'm doing RoSPA at the moment, and one thing I'm battling with is turning into a side road without steering, changing gear and braking all at the same time. If I slow down enough beforehand to do the manoeuvre correctly, I feel I'm being a menace (and possibly a danger) to those behind me. Any helpful advice?
With respect, although I had a bit of trouble with not braking and changing gear at the same time, even I never attempted to steer round a bend at the same time. You should always do your braking and gear changing in a straight line, even if (like me) your driving style is still to change gear under braking.
Try driving a Morris Minor for a bit... you are more or less forced to get all the slowing down done on the straight and to come off the brakes about a second before you turn to allow the suspension to return to the neutral position before you start to turn, then be on the power as you do turn, otherwise it gets badly out of shape. Similar on a bike.
JonRB said:
Did I say the wrong thing?
I just think it is disingenuous to focus on this trivial yet often-debated point to the detriment of the real benefits of the IAM training, that's all.
Or, to put it another way, "change the record FFS".
This is an important point, the IAM has an image problem not helped by Clarkson mimicking the push/pull action every time the IAM is mentioned on Top Gear.
I know I get similar kind of stick from people when I say I've passed my IAM test. These trivial points are well known and put people off taking the test.
I'm curious.
Does the IAM certificate/passing actually make a good driver safer?
What is the "advanced" area of motoring, advanced safety, advanced ability in tricky situations?
Is there a link to any specific guidelines, as I had a trawl but couldn't really find much specific ala the Highway code type thing.
Just can't get my head around the benefits that I may see for example.
Dave
Does the IAM certificate/passing actually make a good driver safer?
What is the "advanced" area of motoring, advanced safety, advanced ability in tricky situations?
Is there a link to any specific guidelines, as I had a trawl but couldn't really find much specific ala the Highway code type thing.
Just can't get my head around the benefits that I may see for example.
Dave
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