I am in the process of becoming an advanced motorist with the institute of advanced motorists (IAM). I wanted to just ask everyones opinions when it comes to IAM drivers. So far the training has really opened my eyes. I am 22 years old and i believe i have learnt things that would have taken me many more years of experiance to discover. It helps with your insurance, and, it makes you a better driver. What does everyone here think?
IAM - Your thoughts
- Thread starter tobycruse
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I would say any training over and above the tuition given to pass a test is a good thing.
I went on a driver training course through work and learned loads.
He asked me to drive for about half an hour, i thought "this is easy, he's gonna tell me im a perfect driver"..... he didnt lol
Showed me lots of things to improve my driving, such as road position, braking techniques, even helped me gain a few MPG.
good on you
I went on a driver training course through work and learned loads.
He asked me to drive for about half an hour, i thought "this is easy, he's gonna tell me im a perfect driver"..... he didnt lol
Showed me lots of things to improve my driving, such as road position, braking techniques, even helped me gain a few MPG.
good on you
I've done it and found it extremely useful. I would previously have thought I was a good driver, but the training showed me how many bad habits I've picked up over the last 12 years. Both my parents and younger brother have also done it and my older brother is in the process of doing it.
Before doing the tuition I would have been travelling home from work and if I got stuck behind somebody I'd be driving up their *** trying to get past them, whereas now I tend to leave a gap and travel at the same speed they are since I know there's no way past them and then when the gap opens up make my way past them. I find that I get home in almost exactly the same time as I would before, however I am a lot more relaxed when I get there.
I've been getting an extra 100km out of a tank of fuel since doing the tuition too. I had an S3 out for the weekend and spent the first three days driving it like I stole it and only got about 11MPG. Driving it for the last two days the way I now drive I was able to get that up to 28MPG. I wasn't driving it like a vicar though - I was still giving it a good thrashing and throwing it into corners and stuff, but by being sensible(ish) got an awful lot more economy out of it.
The dude who was doing the tuition told me after my first drive that he could see that I was a very good natural driver, but that there were one or two things I could do to improve - stuff like how you hold the gearlever, the steering wheel, braking for junctions and lights and some other stuff that.
I got the lessons as a christmas present from my folks and was thinking that I didn't want to do it and that it would be an awlful lot of hastle to go through, but even after the first drive with the instructor I could see the benefits. I'd recommend it to anyone.
Before doing the tuition I would have been travelling home from work and if I got stuck behind somebody I'd be driving up their *** trying to get past them, whereas now I tend to leave a gap and travel at the same speed they are since I know there's no way past them and then when the gap opens up make my way past them. I find that I get home in almost exactly the same time as I would before, however I am a lot more relaxed when I get there.
I've been getting an extra 100km out of a tank of fuel since doing the tuition too. I had an S3 out for the weekend and spent the first three days driving it like I stole it and only got about 11MPG. Driving it for the last two days the way I now drive I was able to get that up to 28MPG. I wasn't driving it like a vicar though - I was still giving it a good thrashing and throwing it into corners and stuff, but by being sensible(ish) got an awful lot more economy out of it.
The dude who was doing the tuition told me after my first drive that he could see that I was a very good natural driver, but that there were one or two things I could do to improve - stuff like how you hold the gearlever, the steering wheel, braking for junctions and lights and some other stuff that.
I got the lessons as a christmas present from my folks and was thinking that I didn't want to do it and that it would be an awlful lot of hastle to go through, but even after the first drive with the instructor I could see the benefits. I'd recommend it to anyone.
I did the IAM training course many years ago and also found it useful although the driving school chap who originally taught me to drive was an ex-police class 1 driver so much of it was a refresher.
I've also done a couple of advanced driving course with police driving instructors through work and found them both informative and also great fun. It's great to sit in an unmarked police car travelling at high speed with someone who really knows how to drive. It's never ceases to amaze me how these chaps can drive fast but also be so smooth. These guys always say smoothness is the art of good driving on the road whether your travelling slow or fast. It's also slightly un-nerving having one of them sitting next to you in your own car to access your driving standards.
I'd certainly recommend any form of advanced driver training.
I've also done a couple of advanced driving course with police driving instructors through work and found them both informative and also great fun. It's great to sit in an unmarked police car travelling at high speed with someone who really knows how to drive. It's never ceases to amaze me how these chaps can drive fast but also be so smooth. These guys always say smoothness is the art of good driving on the road whether your travelling slow or fast. It's also slightly un-nerving having one of them sitting next to you in your own car to access your driving standards.
I'd certainly recommend any form of advanced driver training.
Does it still make a difference to your insurance is does it if your younger? I've often thought about doing it but haven't got round to it.
J.
J.
Same here - I looked into it a few years back and got all the literature, but never took it further. Would like to though.
Oh god, this isn't going to go down well....but I think it's a load of w*nk.
This opinion isn't baseless, I've got experience of their (and the police) bike courses/riders.
They'd only be of use to a rookie rider, they offer little/nothing to experienced ones.
IMO, it's a bit like a Mensa membership.
It's just a certificate for people to wave about, 'proving' they're better.
I know this won't be popular with those that have done it, sorry.
IMO, you'll learn more taking an off-road driving course.
I don't mean bouncing around fields in a Land Rover, I mean a track course of some kind.
That'll teach you the limits of your car, and what to do in the event of a situation.
There are those that will argue an IAM course teaches you how to avoid these situations in the first place, but I would argue they're only teaching you what an experienced driver should know anyway (reading the road/positioning/lines/viewpoints/vanishing points) etc.
If you don't already know these things, you should ask 'why not'.
There are books you can buy.
I'm all for learning more about driving/riding, and I'm certainly not suggesting I know it all already, but I just do not agree the IAM is the best place to do it, is what I'm saying.:thumbsup:
This opinion isn't baseless, I've got experience of their (and the police) bike courses/riders.
They'd only be of use to a rookie rider, they offer little/nothing to experienced ones.
IMO, it's a bit like a Mensa membership.
It's just a certificate for people to wave about, 'proving' they're better.
I know this won't be popular with those that have done it, sorry.
IMO, you'll learn more taking an off-road driving course.
I don't mean bouncing around fields in a Land Rover, I mean a track course of some kind.
That'll teach you the limits of your car, and what to do in the event of a situation.
There are those that will argue an IAM course teaches you how to avoid these situations in the first place, but I would argue they're only teaching you what an experienced driver should know anyway (reading the road/positioning/lines/viewpoints/vanishing points) etc.
If you don't already know these things, you should ask 'why not'.
There are books you can buy.
I'm all for learning more about driving/riding, and I'm certainly not suggesting I know it all already, but I just do not agree the IAM is the best place to do it, is what I'm saying.:thumbsup:
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In principle, I agree any driver instruction is better than none.
I'm sure you'll agree though, that there are a fair proportion of IAM drivers with a holier-than-thou attitude, even displaying ****** IAM stickers in their car.
That just annoys the hell out of me.
It reminds me of Harry Enfield's "I'm considerably richer than yow" character.
Can't argue with 30% off your premium though.
Take the course, then go back to driving like a ****.
I'm sure you'll agree though, that there are a fair proportion of IAM drivers with a holier-than-thou attitude, even displaying ****** IAM stickers in their car.
That just annoys the hell out of me.
It reminds me of Harry Enfield's "I'm considerably richer than yow" character.
Can't argue with 30% off your premium though.
Take the course, then go back to driving like a ****.
Have to say the only reason I plan on doing it is to stick two fingers up the the critics... I think I have reached an age that I wouldn't get a discount on my insurance for passing it, don;t even think I was asked the last couplloe of times I renewed.
J.
J.
Oh god, this isn't going to go down well....but I think it's a load of w*nk.
This opinion isn't baseless, I've got experience of their (and the police) bike courses/riders.
They'd only be of use to a rookie rider, they offer little/nothing to experienced ones.
IMO, it's a bit like a Mensa membership.
It's just a certificate for people to wave about, 'proving' they're better.
I know this won't be popular with those that have done it, sorry.
IMO, you'll learn more taking an off-road driving course.
I don't mean bouncing around fields in a Land Rover, I mean a track course of some kind.
That'll teach you the limits of your car, and what to do in the event of a situation.
There are those that will argue an IAM course teaches you how to avoid these situations in the first place, but I would argue they're only teaching you what an experienced driver should know anyway (reading the road/positioning/lines/viewpoints/vanishing points) etc.
If you don't already know these things, you should ask 'why not'.
There are books you can buy.
I'm all for learning more about driving/riding, and I'm certainly not suggesting I know it all already, but I just do not agree the IAM is the best place to do it, is what I'm saying.:thumbsup:
In some ways I agree with you Bowfer. My original driving instruction was a recently retired police class 1 qualified driver and when I did the IAM course there was very little that was new.
The best type a training for any driver is the Police Advanced Driving Course but very few will get the chance to do that. But if you do get the chance to do any form a training or assessment with a advanced course qualified police driver it is well worth it. I had the chance to do two and learned a lot and throughtly enjoyed every minute of it. Just being a front passenger in car being driven by one is both exciting and shows you a lot.
Off-road courses - I've done several but they were true off-road on the rough with the Army - but off-road as in on-the-track can be useful (again I've done a couple) can teach you quite a lot about the limits of a particular car but in my opinion are not much use to improve general road driving. On most tracks for example there is nothing coming the other way!
