My old pal Steve Yates (
facebook comments) asked me how I got on with the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) course and test that I started September 2010?
Early in 2010, I'd focussed on replacing our 10 year old Renault Megane and 5 year old Fiat Punto car with
safer (5 star)
EuroNCAP cars. During Spring/Summer 2010 (after much analysis on spreadsheets comparing more than twenty cars), Sharon and I bought a new
Nissan Qashqai and a 2007
Vauxhall Corsa which were both fitted with ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and (numerous) other safety features
Sharon gave me the IAM (Institute Advanced Motorists) Skill for Life Programme for my birthday August 2010 - at £139 it's a bargain!
My local instructor from Bournemouth IAM was David Hodges, a retired science teacher who had passed his IAM Advanced Driving Test four years ago and was now a trained Observer. I'd drive to his home in my Qashqai and then drive for 90 minutes on the 12 or so runs (September 2010 to June 2011).
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| included in the £139 IAM fee |
From my first few lessons I learnt that my driving
weaknesses included:-
- Vehicle Sympathy
- yanking up the handbrake - no ratchet
- 3 point turns - turning the steering wheel when not moving
- gear changes were rushed
- not putting clutch down before starting car
- Braking
- using gears to slow down the car instead of 'Gears to go, brakes to slow'.
- on stopping use handbrake then get out of gear (don't go into neutral then apply handbrake)
- Gear Changing
- changing down gears several times before reaching a 'hazard'
- changing gears whilst not travelling in a straight line
- holding gear stick incorrectly when changing gears
- 'The System' - Information, Position, Speed, Gear, Acceleration (IPSGA)
- Mirror Signal Manoeuvre order
- Progress
- not looking for an 'early view' at roundabouts (I argued with David that this approach could be less safe!)
- Observation
- not remembering the last traffic sign just passed (revealed a lot about how the mind works)
- Smoothness
- Slow Manoeuvring
- not accurately aware of distances behind or in front of car on 3 point turns
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| David Hodges lent me a Roadcraft DVD |
After 10 runs David Hodges recommended I take the ...
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| Recommended Book |
Pre-Test run
April 21st 2011 with Keith Bowers (Bournemouth IAM)
Skill level 1 (Unsatisfactory) to 4 (excellent)
Pre-Drive Checks: 3 (polish a little), Driver Attitude: 3, System 3, Observation & Planning: 3 (several missed signs, also read the Highway code), Car Control: 3 (gear change - handling gear stick, timing gear change, gear selected), Positioning: 3, Cornering: 3, Overtaking (no chances), Manoeuvres: 2 (practise turn in road to judge vehicle length. Reverse around corner-avoid swan-neck, Commentary (N/A), Knowledge check: 3 (see observation & planning).
Points for next observed run: Test ready, subject to more practise on points above.
Unfortunately the Pre-Test run had not prepared me for the higher level of standard required of 'System' checks at the Advanced Drivers Test.
Advanced Drivers Test
I took the Advanced test on 11th May 2011 with Paul Williams (a Police driving instructor and Qualified Examiner). I thought I'd done well but I failed the test because:-
- System
- 8 examples of not using mirror before signalling or braking (my errors in this regard had not been highlighted sufficiently by David Hodges or Keith Bowers. By contrast, Paul Williams recognised my consistent error)
- late signals after braking
- several disallowed overlapping breaking and gear manoeuvres
- 3x: brake-mirror-brake-gear-brake
- brake-gear-signal-brake
- Acceleration / Sense
- accelerating towards one traffic light
- Cornering
- bend assessment was not consistent - I slowed down after the focal point opened up instead of increasing acceleration smoothly
- Progress
- really overcautious once - not keeping up to the 40mph speed limit and had held up following traffic (on the re-test Paul advised that I would not have passed the normal driving test because of several instances of overcautious driving) and too slow at a junction.
Paul Williams written remarks were 'Whilst the drive was safe and generally polished and most areas exceeded competency, System lacked sufficient consistency to achieve competency, and improvement are needed with hazard management, use of mirrors and cornering.
Between the Test and the Re-test
The test had highlighted that my main weakness was application of the 'System' (IPSGA - Information Positioning Speed Gear Acceleration) which includes the Mirror Signal Manoeuvre of the standard driving test. I had not got into the habit of always using the mirror before braking or signalling. I occasionally used the brake before signalling. Over decades I got into the habit of using my brakes whilst changing gear. The brake/gear overlap technique is only allowed when a car is following close behind and I was using the B/G overlap far too frequently (which can increase the risk of skidding)
I had another couple of lesson with David Hodges before the re-test and gradually I ironed out these issues.
Re-test
At the 6th July 2011 re-test all went well! The only points noted in writing by Paul Williams were:-
- one instance of signalling after braking
- one instance of break/gear overlap because my speed of approach was marginally too quick.
He verbally told me I had a couple of other (minor) break/gear overlaps especially coming at the end of the re-test when my concentration lapsed.
His written remarks were 'Competency has been achieved in all areas to produce a safe, systematic and progressive drive'.
Test & Re-Test Competance Levels
1 to 5 (1-Excellent, 2-Good, 3-Satisfactory, 4-Poor, 5-Unsatisfactory)
(test: May 2011, re-test July 2011)
Safety (2,2), System (5,2), Observation (2,2), Positioning (2,2), Hazard Management (5,2), Planning (3,2), Anticipation (3,2), Eco-Driving (2,2), Vehicle Sympathy (2,2), Gear Changing (2,2), Use of Gearbox (2,2), Acceleration /Sense (3,2), Braking (2,2), Steering (2,2), Mirrors / Rear Observation (5,2), Signals (2,2), Cornering (5,2), Overtaking (NA,NA), Restraint (2,2), Progress (3,2), Smoothness (2,3), Concentration (1,2), Courtesy (1,3), Legality (1,2), Slow Manoeuvring (2,2), Knowledge (3,2), Commentary (NA,NA)
I passed the 6th July 2011 re-test! Now I'm a qualified IAM Advanced Driver!!
Many thanks to Paul Williams, Keith Bowers and especially to David Hodges.
