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sw20

IAM Advanced Driving Course

Post by sw20 »

I am paying €1700 at the moment...insurance here is crazy and that is actually a good premium price for a 21yo!

I will get an insurance discount with one or two companys but they wont insure me on an mr2. Insurance isnt the main reason i am doin the course though, i really do see it as a skill for life. And it will stand to me when i am out if uni and apply for the Gardaí ( irish police force ) and want to drive for them.


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bevs1

Re: IAM Advanced Driving Course

Post by bevs1 »

My Mum did this about 15yrs ago. Made a difference to her insurance.
The irony was she wrote her car off taking a bend too fast the week before her final assessment & had to borrow my car to do it in.
Still she passed.
She's 76yrs old now.
The only bad thing is nobody can comment on her driving cos her reply's always "I'm an advanced driver" Parents eh? :roll:
My little lad probably says similar about me!! :lololol:

Good luck with it, hope it all goes well.
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sw20

IAM Advanced Driving Course

Post by sw20 »

Thanks for bringing this to your friends attention Tracie! When I pass my IAM test, the first email I send will be one volunteering an hour or two a week to help however i can!
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Django

IAM Advanced Driving Course

Post by Django »

Days 5, 6 & 7 - observed drives 3,4 & 5

It's been a little while since I last posted in this thread, and, in a way, there hasn't been much to report. Rather, the changes that have happened have been kinda specific to me, so it's probably not worth going into as much detail as I have before. Notably, there hasn't been much introduction of new stuff - it's mostly been reinforcement of ideas that I've already been introduced to, like spotting hazards in the distance and working backwards, scanning wherever possible (eg, on the approach to junctions, looking around to see what traffic on other approaches is doing). We did touch on overtaking procedure, but I haven't really had much chance to put it into practice - only a couple of times on the motorway so far (when you're not breaking the speed limit, it tends to be others that do the overtaking!).

Something that came up was emphasising the Info-PSG-Acc thing, in the sense of getting down to the speed and gear you need a bit earlier than you might think, and then continuing to observe and scan. If you get this right, you can time your egress from junctions and the like, such that you often don't have to stop - you just trickle out in 2nd gear or whatever. I already do this on the approach to traffic lights (and have for years), but I'm only starting to develop it in other situations. The difference here is that you don't have to scan to time your approach to lights (especially if you're familiar with them), but you do have to scan to time your approach to almost everything else - it's the introduction of scanning that is extending this approach to a wider range of situations.

Anyway, below are my numbers for the four drives that Harry has marked me on. The first observed drive wasn't included because it was more a 'get to know you' thing. So, drives 2 to 5...

Code: Select all

Observed drive:		2	3	4	5
---------------------------------------------------------
Cockpit drill:		1	8	8	9
Moving brake test:		-	6	6	9
Hazard procedure:		-	6	7	9
Clutch and gears:		4	5	7	10
Positioning:		5	7	8	8
Braking:			5	5	7	10
Observation:		6	9	9	10
Car sympathy:		10	10	10	10
Overtaking:		-	-	5	9
Manoeuvering:		-	-	-	9
Speed limits:		4	6	7	9
Steering:			5	7	8	9
Restraint/consideration:	10	10	10	10.5
Maintaining progress:	5	7	9	10
Signal/horn/lights:	-	7	7	8
Mirrors:			4	6	8	10
Motorway:			-	-	5	7
Commentary:		8	8	9	10
Highway code:		0	5	5	4
Note the latest score for restraint/consideration! And note the direction that the highway code score is moving in - not so good. This isn't because I'm doing things that contravene the highway code, but because I'm not mentioning highway code stuff enough. This is more about showing that you know the highway code by making incidental comments: "...and at 30mph, the typical stopping distance is six car lengths - I'm following the vehicle ahead at a distance of at least that much".

Another thing that Harry has suggested is doing a little introductory spiel when the environment changes...

"And here we are in the countryside. In this area, I'd expect to see slow agricultural vehicles, farm animals, muddy road surfaces, and possibly people out walking, cycling or horse riding."

"..now coming into a built up area. Here, I expect to encounter slow moving traffic, pedestrians crossing the road, possibly from between parked cars, delivery vans, maintenance workers, side roads and openings from which vehicles could appear, and parked cars making the road narrower, and possibly pulling out without warning. Looking ahead to my limit point, I can see that there are traffic lights that are currently green - they may be red by the time I get close to them. Due to the high number of potential hazards, I'll shift my concentration more on the foreground and a little less on the distance."

The purpose of this is to show the examiner that you are aware of what sort of things you need to anticipate in particular environments. While it could be argued that all things should be anticipated at all times, there is generally a preponderance of things specific to each environment (generally, you don't get herds of cows on the motorway, for example). Harry says to talk as if your passenger doesn't know much about driving - as if they're a non-driver, in fact. In this way, it's a bit easier to explain what you're doing and why, and to introduce little digressions like the above (imagine you've got a kid sitting beside you who's interested in driving, but doesn't know much about it - what would you say to introduce ideas to the kid?)

The good news today, in spite of my floundering demonstrations of my highway code knowledge, was that Harry reckons I'm just about ready to take a mock test with one of the other observers. I think the balance has shifted from "what's the next bit to learn?", to "what bits are left to learn?". I'm certainly past the half-way mark. I think I have one more observed drive with Harry, and we'll see what happens after that - it's either back to the meeting place with all the other associates, or possibly this mock test.

More anon...
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firstmk1

IAM Advanced Driving Course

Post by firstmk1 »

I'm going out this Sunday for a drive with the local group Senior Observer with a view to becoming an observer myself. I'm hoping that it'll give me an insight into how other drivers think and expand my driving knowledge.

Tracie: no word from your IAM bloke.
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firstmk1

IAM Advanced Driving Course

Post by firstmk1 »

He called earlier but I was out.
I had a run out on Sunday and now have all the paperwork to guide me on my first run as an observer. Now I'm just waiting for my first victim....
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Django

IAM Advanced Driving Course

Post by Django »

Days 7, 8 & 9 - Observed drive 6, 3rd meeting, and mock test

Things are moving apace! Had my 6th observed drive with Harry, but forgot to bring my sheet of ticky boxes, so no scores were recorded for this one. Overall, it was similar to the other drives, but I was a bit tired - starting drill was a mess, and I barely mentioned any road signs or did any 'babble' (that stuff where you talk about stuff in more general terms - the 'teach a kid' stuff where you explain the sort of hazards you expect to encounter in an environment, talk about highway code things, etc). It was generally okay, though - most improved things were reading the limit point better and maybe my scanning (although still room for improvement in the latter). We've agreed that, for the next observed drive, Harry is going to take me for a drive - I'm looking forward to this because it should be longer than the short demonstration drive we were taken for at the start of the course.

The 3rd meeting of associates and observers was quite brief. Rather than change observers, everybody agreed that we would just stick with the observers that we already have. We had some debate about doing block shifts when changing up (started by me), and that was about it, apart from me arranging a mock test with Garry, who's a senior observer.

Just been for my mock test today. I had misgivings about this. I know that my starting drill has been sloppy recently - I haven't been mindful of it when getting in the car for my daily drives to work, etc. I've also not been making an effort to verbally note road signs as they approach. Been driving like a slob, basically.

One of the things that Harry has said often is that it's important to get the starting drill correct - it helps to put the examiner at ease and gets things off on a positive footing. To this end, this morning, I wrote down the starting drill (I find I remember things better when I write them down), and also categorised the various stages, like so...


------------------------------------------------------------
Initial checks with systems off
- Check handbrake is on and has tension.
- Check doors are correctly closed.
- Check seating position.
------------------------------------------------------------
Activate system
- Press clutch, select neutral, start engine, ease clutch up slowly.
------------------------------------------------------------
Adjust initial electrics
- Select minor auxilliaries.
- Check and align mirrors.
------------------------------------------------------------
Check system functioning
- Check instruments.
- Static brake test.
------------------------------------------------------------
Prepare to move off
- Close windows
- Select major auxilliaries.
- Fit seat belts
------------------------------------------------------------
Move off
- Mirror, signal, gear
- Move off
------------------------------------------------------------
Final confirmation
- Moving brake test
------------------------------------------------------------

I printed it out and used it two or three times when I went to get petrol and wash the car before meeting Garry for the mock test. I had to refer to it a couple of times, but I found that breaking the steps into phases which have some sort of 'logic' to them (like a pre-flight check) helped.

And it worked. I had a nagging feeling while I was doing it that I had forgotten something, but it turned out that I hadn't. The mock test with Garry was fairly similar to the observed drives - meet at an agreed time and place, and go for a drive. In this case, I wasn't given any indication of the intended test route, and there was no preamble like I get with Harry - it was literally a case of Garry getting in the car, saying hello, getting his notebook out and... ...off we go.

During the mock test, I felt I was missing things that I shouldn't have - again, not mentioning road signs enough, and very little babble. I did mention limit points quite a lot, which is important because these are key to assessing where the road goes and the nature of bends that are up ahead. Also did a fair bit of scanning (looking across fields and hedges to see if there are hazards *beyond* the limit point). I managed to avoid doing any block shifts when changing up, although I often broke the 'rule' of brake to required speed, and then change gear - I almost always drop a gear, sometimes two, on the approach to a hazard but without reducing speed; and then brake and change down further if I need to. I did this unconsciously. My speed did creep over now and then (by 2-3mph), but was generally very good.

The drive lasted a solid 1.5 hours, and the commentary flowed almost non-stop during this. It was mostly countryside, a fair bit of town, and a little motorway. When we got to the end, I completely forgot to talk through my stop drill (another bit of sloppiness on my part). "I've failed, haven't I?", I said to Garry. On the contrary, he said it was fine apart from some minor points, and that I should get my application in for the real test! I was genuinely surprised at this, having felt that I was regularly missing some of the things that Harry has been pointing out recently. Maybe Harry is a little more strict than is needed (not a bad thing).

In particular, Garry said he was seriously impressed with my mechancial control of the car. He noted that I was 'pre-shifting' downwards on the approach to hazards, and said that that isn't how it should be done. However, he said it was acceptable due to the sportiness of the car, and noted that my changing was extremely smooth - I rev match nearly all the time, and he said he couldn't even feel the gear changes. He also noted that the short shift made it very easy for me to change gear quickly. He felt that this, combined with the rev matching and general smoothness, wouldn't present a problem in the test.

Lookin' good. :)
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oddshoes
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Post by oddshoes »

I went for a accessed drive the other day with the head of my region, I found it very differnet compaired to driving with my normal advisor. One of the most important things I have to work on is my smoothness and that is really to do with changing gears.
Does anyone else find that they seem to use alot of engine braking?
Dave
Current - modified 265bhp PFL MR-S in Gulf Livery

Previous - Rev1 turbo, Rev3 turbo, Rev5, Rev3 V6, PFL Roadster
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Django

Re: IAM Advanced Driving Course

Post by Django »

oddshoes wrote:I went for a accessed drive the other day with the head of my region, I found it very differnet compaired to driving with my normal advisor. One of the most important things I have to work on is my smoothness and that is really to do with changing gears.
Does anyone else find that they seem to use alot of engine braking?
Dave
What do you mean by "using a lot of engine braking"? Do you mean that you lets the revs drop and then lift the clutch until the revs match? I wouldn't say that I use a *lot* of engine braking, but I do rev match almost always. I often slow down for corners well in advance and don't brake - I just ease off the gas gently and let the speed drop gradually, then rev-match when changing down.
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firstmk1

IAM Advanced Driving Course

Post by firstmk1 »

If you are talking about acceleration sense then yes, I do.
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Stef

IAM Advanced Driving Course

Post by Stef »

You tend to use engine braking more in a rear wheel drive car than a front wheel drive car. RWD you can use engine power on either acc or dec phase to assist with weight distribution (inc braking balance) and steering. It never fails to amaze me how much it does affect the way the car corners, it's much more noticeable that FWD.

To add to your commentary, street lights seen in the distance in rural areas are very useful as they are clustered around junctions, houses, roundabouts etc. A row of telegraph poles coming in from the side (kinda at right angles to the road) is usually an indication of a side road joining yours. We used the 'vanishing point' too, the point where the road appears to vanish in the distance. This took me a while to twig on to, but basically if you keep note of where the road appears to narrow and vanish in front will seem to move toward you if you are going too fast and away if you are going too slow.

I recently did the SAFED course, as I drive a van (mobile workshop) for work. the course teaches Safe And Fuel Efficient Driving and covers a hell of a lot of ground. This includes sustained gearchanges (rev matching) to keep life smooth, going up and down the 'box. My fuel economy has gone from 36 mpg to 45 mpg as a result. I don't exceed the speed limits (in the van :lol: I get paid for overtime) and I don't get stressed anymore as all the aggro seems to happening up ahead these days.

Living with a driving instructor, you can't help but pick up loads of tips. Tracie teaches a lot of the advanced driving style to her pupils (the parts that relatively inexperienced drivers can make use of) as it better prepares them for the open road post test.
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firstmk1

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Post by firstmk1 »

Any further news? Did you take the test?
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oddshoes
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Post by oddshoes »

I dont know if the person who started the thread has passed his/ her test yet but i passed mine in December and in my tubby too. It is a good thing and I would recommend it to anyone

Dave
Current - modified 265bhp PFL MR-S in Gulf Livery

Previous - Rev1 turbo, Rev3 turbo, Rev5, Rev3 V6, PFL Roadster
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firstmk1

IAM Advanced Driving Course

Post by firstmk1 »

Well done, Dave. Are you planning anything further? It just gets better the more you learn.

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