'Advanced driving' courses

[MGB Boy]

First of all I think I've got the right forum, Correct me if I'm wrong!

I'm considering doing an advanced driving course as I've just gained some money from selling a car.

I'm <21 and looking for something that will help lower my insurance and if possible reduce the insurance I'm on at work for the use / moving of customers cars.

I've looked into a few but not really sure which will make the most difference.

I'm looking for something for hopefully around £300-400 and that covers controlling a skid, how to control a vehicle if it goes sideways etc (I do a lot of my driving on small country lanes which don't get gritted during winter)

So what kind of courses should I really be looking at?
I'd like to actually learn something practical and not just be talked at all day!

[Defcon5]

what about a few trackdays/skidpans?

[Mastodon2]

Perhaps learning not to go sideways in the first place may be more beneficial?

[MGB Boy]

Don't track days have a licence held / age restriction?

And yes that would be helpful, But it would be nice to learn (not just be told) what to do when things inevitably do go sideways.

[S. Gonzales Esq.]

It sounds like you want a limit handling course, but what you need is an Advanced Driving course - there's another thread running at the moment in this forum with some advice about the courses that are available.

The IAM has an insurance scheme that may help you personally, but for the work thing you'll be better off talking to the insurers themselves.

You can find an off-road course to teach you whatever you want, but on-road training will never cover that kind of car control. Put simply, if you're sideways on the road then you've fked up.

Advanced Driving means avoiding problems by Observation, Anticipation and Planning.

Edited by S. Gonzales Esq. on Saturday 20th November 23:14

[EDLT]

PPC made this place sound fun:
http://www.manbymotorplex.com/res_website.asp?supp...

Also, quoting "PPC10" will give you a discount (may now be out of date)

[Z.B]

IAM is most likely to help directly, but the best way to get insurance down is to avoid crashing - and that is where training really helps.

[Kinky]

Z.B said:

IAM is most likely to help directly

And most cost effectively

[Kinky]

S. Gonzales Esq. said:

It sounds like you want a limit handling course, but what you need is an Advanced Driving course - there's another thread running at the moment in this forum with some advice about the courses that are available.

You can find an off-road course to teach you whatever you want, but on-road training will never cover that kind of car control. Put simply, if you're sideways on the road than you've fked up.

Advanced Driving means avoiding problems by Observation, Anticipation and Planning.

Nail and head

[otolith]

You probably won't get much of a discount, because the insurers have no evidence that it will make you any safer a driver.

Not being involved in accidents (whether your fault or not) will keep your insurance costs down, and some advanced driving organisations and their members claim that they can help you with this. Substantiating their claims is another matter, particularly given that the self selecting group of people who seek out tuition might be expected to be of naturally lower risk than the general population in the first place - you'll either have to take their word for it or look at what they teach and make your own mind up.

[7mike]

MGB Boy said:

I'm looking for something for hopefully around £300-400 and that covers controlling a skid, how to control a vehicle if it goes sideways etc (I do a lot of my driving on small country lanes which don't get gritted during winter)

Sit straight, hold the wheel with both hands & look where you want to go, not at what you're going to hit. There you go, that'll be £300 please.

Seriously, waving certificates at insurance companies has little effect, NCB is the only thing that realy gets premiums down. If you do any form of driver training go into it for the right reasons & go away better armed to keep you NCBs.

[ClassOne]

I am not convinced that you will benefit from lower insurance premiums!!.......as suggested above speak to brokers/insureers for their advice!

As for advanced driving....do your research before you hand over your hard earned cash!! .....decide what it is you really want/need to improve.......there are plenty of threads on here discussing the 'pros n cons' of IAM courses and those provided by people such as Ride Drive (who do a full day with an hours 'skid pan'input...depending on where you live!!)

Good luck

Edited by ClassOne on Sunday 21st November 19:13

[MGB Boy]

So what I want doesn't exist?

[vonhosen]

MGB Boy said:

So what I want doesn't exist?

It probably does, it's just can you personally get it.

[Nigel Worc's]

MGB Boy said:

So what I want doesn't exist?

Start at the bottom, as you already have !

You've done your standard test, possibly pass plus and all that, I'd suggest you now go for a standard advanced course, IAM, Rospa, DIAmond, whichever is available in your area.

Once you've mastered that, then go for the more specialised courses that take your fancy, track based, off road, rallying etc etc etc.

I use the IAM insurance scheme, and it works well for me, but it doesn't for others.

I'm not sure what difference it makes, but, whilst looking for insurance quotes for my young daughters, all of the comparison sites have been asking me about advanced qualification, and actually naming the IAM rather than anyone else.

[waremark]

So IAM for a chance of a good insurance quote, and more probability of keeping your No Claims Discount. RideDrive for the same sort of training, but delivered to a higher standard at a higher price, with the opportunity to include a skid pan session. Or Andy Walsh of Car Limits for the sort of training you originally asked about - which most of us here think is great fun but not very relevant to safety on the road or to insurance costs.

[SVS]

MGB Boy said:

So what I want doesn't exist?

It does exist. Check out the ranage of courses from RideDrive, e.g. the SO3PM Advanced Handling Skills day:

www.ridedrive.co.uk/shop-high-performance.htm

I can't recommend RideDrive enough. You'll have an utterly brilliant day, learn loads and have lots of fun Be warned, these courses can be addictive

Completing a full-day RideDrive course earns you a 25% insurance reduction with Adrian Flux. I've done a RideDrive course on the bike and, yes, my cheapest insurance has been with Adrian Flux since then. (Having said that, www.IAMsurety.com consistently gives car insurance savings nowadays.)

[ST170Bird]

I've just saved over £200 by going through the IAM insurance approved company. That was from my renewal price, but they still beat my best price by £30. Worth doing, although as said, a lot of insurance companies don't acknowledge it. Good luck.