ROSPA or RideDrive?
Discussion
W've recently had a big H&S review at work and the ROSPA guys set-up a stand offering their advanced driving packs. We were told how this is the highest level a civillian could acheive, reduced insurance, etc. However when I got home and read through the pack there was a lot of talk of progressive driving but not exceeding the limit even when overtaking. Ok, I know overtaking isn't a defence for speeding, but I tend to give it some to get past, then back off once past, so I don't really want to be told to overtake someone, then sit in the wrong lane for a long time just to stick to a number on a stick. So is it worth doing the ROSPA one with the concessions I receive from work (free apart from the test) and bite my tongue, or go for the ridedrive course which seems a bit more "real world"?
A big part of any advanced driving course you do will be demonstrating that you have the will-power to stick to posted speed limits, even when overtaking or faced with a great bit of open road.
So in short, yes, you will have to bite your tongue, but the skills they teach you may well mean that you make the most of opportunities to overtake that you would never hav seen before.
Like all things, do the training, keep the bits you like and ignore or modify the bits you don't like, but no oficially sanctioned driving course is going to say "it's ok to speed because you've had this training" or "it's okay to speed because everyone else does".
If it's cheap enough, go for it.
So in short, yes, you will have to bite your tongue, but the skills they teach you may well mean that you make the most of opportunities to overtake that you would never hav seen before.
Like all things, do the training, keep the bits you like and ignore or modify the bits you don't like, but no oficially sanctioned driving course is going to say "it's ok to speed because you've had this training" or "it's okay to speed because everyone else does".
If it's cheap enough, go for it.
Rospa 'instruction' is given by unpaid volunteers known as Tutors. As such you get incredible value, and will undoubtedly learn quite a lot. While you may not choose to stick by the 'rules of the club' after passing, a need to publicly support obeying the speed limit does not mean that there are no enthusiasts in Rospa.
If you go to a professional high performance coach you will obviously spend a great deal more. In return you will probably get better value for your time, if less good value for your money.
Whether you go to IAM, Rospa or a professional, in the initial stages you will probably be taught from the same syllabus based on the police system of driving.
One well known coach, Hugh Noblett of Cadence, often advises people to go to Rospa first, and get their driving up to Rospa Gold standard, and then to come to him afterwards, in order to get the best value out of his courses. If you decide to go down the professional route, apart from Ridedrive there are other names to consider such as Hugh and Mark Kendrick of Bespoke.
If you go to a professional high performance coach you will obviously spend a great deal more. In return you will probably get better value for your time, if less good value for your money.
Whether you go to IAM, Rospa or a professional, in the initial stages you will probably be taught from the same syllabus based on the police system of driving.
One well known coach, Hugh Noblett of Cadence, often advises people to go to Rospa first, and get their driving up to Rospa Gold standard, and then to come to him afterwards, in order to get the best value out of his courses. If you decide to go down the professional route, apart from Ridedrive there are other names to consider such as Hugh and Mark Kendrick of Bespoke.
Darth Paul said:
W've recently had a big H&S review at work and the ROSPA guys set-up a stand offering their advanced driving packs. We were told how this is the highest level a civillian could acheive, reduced insurance, etc. However when I got home and read through the pack there was a lot of talk of progressive driving but not exceeding the limit even when overtaking. Ok, I know overtaking isn't a defence for speeding, but I tend to give it some to get past, then back off once past, so I don't really want to be told to overtake someone, then sit in the wrong lane for a long time just to stick to a number on a stick. So is it worth doing the ROSPA one with the concessions I receive from work (free apart from the test) and bite my tongue, or go for the ridedrive course which seems a bit more "real world"?
How can I put this?In all aspects of life there is the formal and informal.
Go with the formal to comply with your employer's expectations.
Then, having complied, be intelligent and use the training you have been given, aided, perhaps by certain modern technology.
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