Ok people, here we go again, it seems ages since Rockingham.

I have been asked to organise the IAM presence at Gaydon.

Would any of you that are interested in having a free assesment drive please list yourselves below.

The drive will consist of about 40 mins driving, in your own car on public roads, with an IAM observer, if your really lucky you could get me !

Your exit and re-entrance to the event will be taken care of.

Committe members, especially ones called John Safe are very welcome.

Thanks for the Pm nigel.

Im unable to drive at the minute but as someone who watches other drivers for a living would fully recommend it to anyone and will be doing the course when im fit to drive again.

Don't want to come over high and mighty as im far from the best driver, but I think theres a lot to be said about getting an unbiased objective view about our driving skills as some drivers (and I include myself in this) have a tendency at times to believe we are better drivers than the rest.

Might even save us from totalling our pride and joy due to the poor driving of others.

End of rant!

Nigel

 This may seem like a stupid question, but what is IAM? I guess it is something to do with advanced driving and so i would like to take part.

 Simon

For Simon, and others who are wondering what the IAM is - it's Institute Of Advanced Motorists - http://www.iam.org.uk/ - http://www.iam.org.uk/  - basically the organisers of a thing popularily called 'The Advanced Driving Test', and who promote better road safety through better driving.

Shortly after passing my test at 17, I went through a spate of many accidents, probably due to arrogance and ignorance, and thought 'there must be a better way'.  My dad was a Class 1 police driver, and ran me through the basics, I read the books, passed the test, and (touch wood) things have much been better since.  Accidents (even if someone elses fault) can often be avoided.  Probably 90% of other peoples fault accidents will be avoided with advanced techniques (sometimes called defensive driving), and good observation.  You sort of end up driving with compensation for the other idiots on the road  ;-)

Here's hoping I don't prang the car on the way up to Croft today after saying all that!

Simon

Simon

 Many thanks for the info... would think i could benefit from that.

Cheers

 Simon

Thanks guys

If you have any specific questions, please feel free to e-mail, or pm me.

If you arent going to Gaydon, but would still like a free assessment drive in your local area, again e-mail or pm your details, and I will arrange it for you.

And I survived the 279 miles to croft each way unscathed after saying all that!

Good man Simon lol

Are you IAM or Rospa ?

SimonTay wrote: IAM, since 1984

Do you fancy helping me out at any events ?

Are you an observer?

Which region are you in ? and assuming it isnt central with me would you like to encourage your local members to take an assesment drive...and hopefully join to do the course ?

Are you the chap I met at Rockingham and tried to get you to do an assessed drive, and you pulled your membership card out ? ( rotten devil...got me full stride lol)

I went for an assessment to become an observer, after about 10 years in the IAM.  I got absolutely slated for braking and changing gear at the same time.

I discussed it with my father (Class 1 police driver), who did explain that there was a lot of controversy at the time, and apparently the police manual was re-issued the following year to include 'forgiveness' for this indiscretion.  So, I got a bit dis-enchanted with helping as an observer.

I'll happily 'spread the word' - maybe you can give me some cards to hand out.  I'm planning to get myself about a bit (or a lot) on the day at Gaydon, taking lots of pictures for possible magazine features and selling photos, so will be talking to lots of people, so as I'm converted to the cause already, I'll add this to my pamphlets.

I'm based in Farnborough, but not active with the local IAM group, as I do lots of other things like helping local sports (mainly rugby) clubs with publicity and the like, so would be unable to commit to anything more.

Yes, you tried to press-gang me into a drive, but maybe I should take another assessment now after all this time.  Anyway the attitude is right I think, and that is the main thing?

"over-lapping" gear changes seems to be a bit of an issue with the older members.

It was the one part I hated, and although I had to learn it to pass the test, and can see the benefit of it encouraging earlier planning, I dislike it as it causes you to slow the traffic behind you more than required, and actually causes you to remain in the traffic flow a lot longer than overlapping the change. I also find the speed around the "hazard" to be the same whichever method I use.

I do worry when people say they have been "slated, or told off", and if this is the case, the observer needs reporting for more people training skills.

As you say the police have relaxed this now, so it will filter down through the IAM eventually.

I am going through some auto box advice, and will be training when we have time, and I'm seeing similar things with that, the one that is "getting" me at the moment is "when you start your vehicle, if your first movement will be forwards, before starting you should place your foot on the footbrake, and select neutral", this will be to stop the quick flash of reversing lights I imagine, and although shows I'm planning ahead is totally irrelavent to safe driving.

I will meet up with you at Gaydon, and give you some stuff to hand out amongst your local lads, both car club and others.

I think it is a pity the IAM are so dogmatic on little points, the overall system is very very good, being too picky, and enforcing odd out of date points does serve to put people off.

They are trying to change their image, and I'm trying to help them !

For everyone's benefit, although Nigel and I have been discussing some very minor (politics) irritations, the gains made by driving to advanced standards are worth the effort.  If you have some reasonable driving experience, it's only really application and development of common sense.

So, we would encourage everyone to at least have an assessment, and allow an independent person to comment (other than your spouse  ).

I believe we will be somewhere by the entrance/exit, to allow us to go out on assessed drives.

We will also have a large mobile display unit, so we wont be hard to find.

Getting in and out of the show will be taken care off, so no wories there.

Thepitts, you only live down the road from me I think, would you like one before Gaydon ??????????????