How much for advanced training?
Discussion
egomeister said:
Basic question - how much does it cost to get your IAM or ROSPA? Is it fixed fee or is the cost dependant on the amount of training (like normal driving lessons)
IAM is £85. "Fixed Price". If you take more than a year to pass you may need to renew your membership of the IAM and/or your local group.
If you require an unreasonable (Say > 15 drives) number of "lessons" to reach standard you may find your group runs out of ability to help you...you should pass with 8-10 drives.
But other than that - yep - its fixed price. £85. Bargain.
Note that the IAM are currently discounting the £85-00 fee to £75-00 for under 26s.
The Chelmsford Group are refunding the full £75-00 to 21 and unders and £40-00 to 25 and unders.
Average is 6 drives in your car - the required books are supplied and there is no further charge whatsoever.
BOF.
>> Edited by BOF on Friday 16th September 20:44
The Chelmsford Group are refunding the full £75-00 to 21 and unders and £40-00 to 25 and unders.
Average is 6 drives in your car - the required books are supplied and there is no further charge whatsoever.
BOF.
>> Edited by BOF on Friday 16th September 20:44
BOF said:
... the required books are supplied and there is no further charge whatsoever.
The required book is supplied (How to Pass Your Advanced Driving Test) and it's rubbish. Don't waste your time reading it when you can read Roadcraft instead:
www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0113408587/qid=1128277923/sr=8-10/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i10_xgl/202-8889232-2771035
You'll find Roadcraft miles more helpful in getting you through your IAM test and beyond. Bear in mind that your IAM Examiner will have had to learn Roadcraft during his or her training, but won't even have read How to Pass Your Advanced Driving Test. If you're a biker, you'll definitely want to read Motorcycle Roadcraft because the IAM's own book is even more apalling than its car one.
For some drivers, I completely agree.
(Though note that Cadence, alongside Don Palmer, instruct people to achieve HPC.)
However, many drivers might not get on with IAM or even RoSPA. Why not get first class instruction to start with? i.e. start roadcraft with on-road training from the likes of Cadence, Don or RideDrive. £85 buys you an IAM Skills for Life course of "guidance and assistance" (but not instruction) from a non-professional volunteer. Professional, police Class 1 instruction from RideDrive starts at £115 (+VAT) in the car.
On two wheels, a 6-hour development course with a hand-picked police Class 1 bike instructor costs £130 from UK Advanced ( www.advanced-motorcycle-training.co.uk ). That easily beats an IAM course for value.
(6 hour's 1:1 instruction from a Class 1 biker for the price of a rear tyre! 
)
(Though note that Cadence, alongside Don Palmer, instruct people to achieve HPC.)
However, many drivers might not get on with IAM or even RoSPA. Why not get first class instruction to start with? i.e. start roadcraft with on-road training from the likes of Cadence, Don or RideDrive. £85 buys you an IAM Skills for Life course of "guidance and assistance" (but not instruction) from a non-professional volunteer. Professional, police Class 1 instruction from RideDrive starts at £115 (+VAT) in the car.
On two wheels, a 6-hour development course with a hand-picked police Class 1 bike instructor costs £130 from UK Advanced ( www.advanced-motorcycle-training.co.uk ). That easily beats an IAM course for value.
(6 hour's 1:1 instruction from a Class 1 biker for the price of a rear tyre! )Mark,
In 5 years, I have not found one who 'did not get on' with the IAM -I am not a RoSPA observer, so cannot comment.
I am, however, the e mail and telephone contact for enquirers for the third (I think) biggest IAM Group in the UK...as such I get calls from a variety of people who want to improve their driving...some quite old and worried about their reactions...some very young who have been in an accident...many from parents worried about their kids taking to the road.
I do try to have them allocated to a suitable Observer...male, female, retired Class 1, one or two who could stick the car up your arse without touching the sides.
I have done RoSPA and a bit of HPC with John Lyon as I have posted - and I do NOT think that the IAM is perfect...but, until the VERY excellent driver training companies mentioned become a 'gateway' to folks just trying to become better drivers in their daily driving, at an affordable cost, what is the alternative?
BOF
In 5 years, I have not found one who 'did not get on' with the IAM -I am not a RoSPA observer, so cannot comment.
I am, however, the e mail and telephone contact for enquirers for the third (I think) biggest IAM Group in the UK...as such I get calls from a variety of people who want to improve their driving...some quite old and worried about their reactions...some very young who have been in an accident...many from parents worried about their kids taking to the road.
I do try to have them allocated to a suitable Observer...male, female, retired Class 1, one or two who could stick the car up your arse without touching the sides.
I have done RoSPA and a bit of HPC with John Lyon as I have posted - and I do NOT think that the IAM is perfect...but, until the VERY excellent driver training companies mentioned become a 'gateway' to folks just trying to become better drivers in their daily driving, at an affordable cost, what is the alternative?
BOF
Hi BOF,
I guess it depends on the local group. Given the comprehensive observer training in your car group, it's obviously one of the better groups. On top of that, thanks to John, your own expertise will be substantially higher than many IAM Senior Observers. (Incidentally, HPC entry now comes from a course with either Hugh Noblett at Cadence or Don Palmer. Excellent guys with differing personal styles from John.)
I've had a broad experience of the IAM across the country (having been active regionally as well as locally, and given assistance to IAM HQ). The IAM is a great organisation and the Skills for Life course is to be very highly recommended. Nevertheless, I personally know some people who have been put off advanced driving by poor observing standards in the IAM and even RoSPA. Without exception, everyone I know who's had on-road instruction from Cadence, Don or RideDrive has enthused wildly about it. One session with someone like RideDrive is pretty much as affordable as an IAM course. Why not go to RideDrive … ?
… for now. The IAM's new strategy has some very interesting ideas that will bring it into the 21st Century with a range of training options. Who knows, maybe a bit of competition can catalyse some good stuff for future IAM car activity. On the bike side, a more modern approach by local IAM groups has obviously worked, given the recent doubling of the IAM's bike membership.
I guess it depends on the local group. Given the comprehensive observer training in your car group, it's obviously one of the better groups. On top of that, thanks to John, your own expertise will be substantially higher than many IAM Senior Observers. (Incidentally, HPC entry now comes from a course with either Hugh Noblett at Cadence or Don Palmer. Excellent guys with differing personal styles from John.)
I've had a broad experience of the IAM across the country (having been active regionally as well as locally, and given assistance to IAM HQ). The IAM is a great organisation and the Skills for Life course is to be very highly recommended. Nevertheless, I personally know some people who have been put off advanced driving by poor observing standards in the IAM and even RoSPA. Without exception, everyone I know who's had on-road instruction from Cadence, Don or RideDrive has enthused wildly about it. One session with someone like RideDrive is pretty much as affordable as an IAM course. Why not go to RideDrive … ?
… for now. The IAM's new strategy has some very interesting ideas that will bring it into the 21st Century with a range of training options. Who knows, maybe a bit of competition can catalyse some good stuff for future IAM car activity. On the bike side, a more modern approach by local IAM groups has obviously worked, given the recent doubling of the IAM's bike membership.
Mark_SV said:
Hi BOF,
I guess it depends on the local group. Given the comprehensive observer training in your car group, it's obviously one of the better groups. On top of that, thanks to John, your own expertise will be substantially higher than many IAM Senior Observers. (Incidentally, HPC entry now comes from a course with either Hugh Noblett at Cadence or Don Palmer. Excellent guys with differing personal styles from John.)
I've had a broad experience of the IAM across the country (having been active regionally as well as locally, and given assistance to IAM HQ). The IAM is a great organisation and the Skills for Life course is to be very highly recommended. Nevertheless, I personally know some people who have been put off advanced driving by poor observing standards in the IAM and even RoSPA. Without exception, everyone I know who's had on-road instruction from Cadence, Don or RideDrive has enthused wildly about it. One session with someone like RideDrive is pretty much as affordable as an IAM course. Why not go to RideDrive … ?
… for now. The IAM's new strategy has some very interesting ideas that will bring it into the 21st Century with a range of training options. Who knows, maybe a bit of competition can catalyse some good stuff for future IAM car activity. On the bike side, a more modern approach by local IAM groups has obviously worked, given the recent doubling of the IAM's bike membership.
Mark,
I am not a biker, but spent a long day recently with two Police bikers and am in frequent touch with the local one - Jon and I have little in common with regard to 4 wheels or 2...Jon is doing Bikesafe, I do IAM cars...from what I read in the stats, he has a bigger challenge than I have, so I am chuffed that the bikers Membership is doubled... two of the three bunches of flowers near me are for bikers.
You and I are singing from the same hymnsheet, but I cannot honestly see ONE drive with ANY expert making a good safe driver - I failed the IAM test in 1966 - now in 2005 I know my limitations...and sometimes realise that I know frig all when I get a bend a bit wrong...late learner I guess.
BOF.
BOF said:
...You and I are singing from the same hymnsheet, but I cannot honestly see ONE drive with ANY expert making a good safe driver - I failed the IAM test in 1966 - now in 2005 I know my limitations...and sometimes realise that I know frig all when I get a bend a bit wrong...late learner I guess.
BOF.
Just to provide a counter-example for you, and to sing the praises on one of those experts: My first day's instruction with Hugh saved my life* more than once in the following 6 months. I've rarely learnt so much in one day. That was some time ago now and I'm working towards HPC entry.
If I were to explain why such a short period (a single day's driving) can have such an effect, it is simply that most drivers have never been driven by someone who is truly a good driver, and they don't even know what the things that make up "good driving" are.
The scales fall from the eyes on a single drive. Breaking the habits, however, takes repetition and plenty of applied practice.
db
* possibly just serious injury / car write-off and licence loss
BOF said:
You and I are singing from the same hymnsheet, but I cannot honestly see ONE drive with ANY expert making a good safe driver
BOF
Jumping in before Mark replies, could I perhaps give another perspective? None of us learned to drive after a single lesson, nor were able to take a GCE/GCSE exam after 1 week at school or college. The purpose of a 1 day drive with a professional is to be able to witness what actually is possible when it comes to expert driving and, if there is a will, to aspire to that level of driving.
Gassing Station | Advanced Driving | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff