Course for my missus - automatic appropriate
Discussion
Hi All,
Hope I'm not asking too many FAQs here - feel free to rudely point to where it's all been answered before....
My missus now has a 30 mile commute to and from work, and has mentioned she'd be interested in an advanced driving course for her birthday.
I've had a little trawl round and the Skills for Life course bumff suggests it would work for her.
A couple of questions arise:
1) She commutes in an automatic. She can drive a manual and will happily punt my car around, but it seems to make more sense for her to learn in the environment she'll be spending all her time in. Is it an appropriate course for taking in an automatic ?
2) What other alternatives to the IAM course are recommended ?
Thanks all !
Hope I'm not asking too many FAQs here - feel free to rudely point to where it's all been answered before....
My missus now has a 30 mile commute to and from work, and has mentioned she'd be interested in an advanced driving course for her birthday.
I've had a little trawl round and the Skills for Life course bumff suggests it would work for her.
A couple of questions arise:
1) She commutes in an automatic. She can drive a manual and will happily punt my car around, but it seems to make more sense for her to learn in the environment she'll be spending all her time in. Is it an appropriate course for taking in an automatic ?
2) What other alternatives to the IAM course are recommended ?
Thanks all !
I found the ROADA course very useful and satisfying - its run by local groups of ROSPA and I did 6 90 minute driving sessions with an instructor at no charge driving in all sorts of roads and conditions - then took their test with a police driver acting as the adjudicator that lasted about 90 minutes and cost about £50.
I got a lot out of the feedback and would recomend this to anyone with an interest in becoming a better driver.
http://www.roada.org.uk/
I got a lot out of the feedback and would recomend this to anyone with an interest in becoming a better driver.
http://www.roada.org.uk/
A little point about automatics.
It's a LOT easier to pass the IAM/ROADA test in an automatic. One could also argue that the main benefits of improved observation, planning and safety can be concentrated on whilst avoiding the need to learn to avoid brake/gear overlap.
However. Maximum benefit will be extracted from the course in a manual car. She could always start in a manual and shift to an auto if she found the manual too much work.
It's a LOT easier to pass the IAM/ROADA test in an automatic. One could also argue that the main benefits of improved observation, planning and safety can be concentrated on whilst avoiding the need to learn to avoid brake/gear overlap.
However. Maximum benefit will be extracted from the course in a manual car. She could always start in a manual and shift to an auto if she found the manual too much work.
Personally (from experience) I wouldn't bother doing the IAM and RoSPA. Both use the same syllabus but RoSPA offer a decent written report and grading systme (and they're cheaper 
).
I'd also recommend swapping between auto and manual cars during the course to get the maximum benefit and ensure that the observer assigned is capable of coaching both or if not that you can get an observer who can teach the relevant bits. You only need to take the test in one, of course, but being confident enough to take it in each is a good achievement
Chris
).I'd also recommend swapping between auto and manual cars during the course to get the maximum benefit and ensure that the observer assigned is capable of coaching both or if not that you can get an observer who can teach the relevant bits. You only need to take the test in one, of course, but being confident enough to take it in each is a good achievement
Chris
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