Rob - folks on here by nature tend to be very interested in lots of perspectives - by its nature, Advanced Driving is about using all sorts of skills to improve one's driving - it is open in its perspective and very much welcoming of a variety of views or options in the toolbox the driver uses... (of course there are exceptions...) - however DVSA driving, and your view seems to come across as very defined / proscribed and closed - not open to other ideas which is perhaps a shame - you seem very dismissive of advanced driving and the IAM et al - for example your comment about someone who passed the IAM in the 1970s and considers himself an advanced driver without further training - this is flawed logic - advanced driving doesn't exist because of training courses / qualifications (though they undoubtedly can help) - it is totally possible for someone to go 40 years without training and to be an advanced driver - much may depend on their attitudes / self awareness / etc. of course we all know that they may have fallen back a bit - but your conclusions are not sound... I did the IAM in the late 90s and nearly 20 years later needed only a couple of hours refresher before successfully completing the much much more advanced HPC course... It was clear that while there was still a long way I could develop, I had remained an advanced driver over c. 20 years without training...
I would agree though there does seem to be a difference in attitudes, but for one I am always interested in other views - I would just hope that those others are equally open in their views, not so summarily dismissive...
Alasdair
Hi Alasdair
I agree someone who passed their IAM in the 1970's may be a better driver than someone who passed their IAM this year. The point I was making is that the biggest difference I have found between IAM, Rospa, and the DVSA is in peoples attitudes and not their driving style.
Possibly your own view of the DVSA driving is that it is defined, proscribed and closed and not open to other ideas. and It therefore follows that I must be the same.
We all make judgements based on our own experience and many people have very little knowledge of the DVSA system other than taking a driving test many years ago. In truth all the systems in my experience have good and bad points.
I am therefore not dismissive of advanced driving. Training FLHs is my full time job and I train them to advanced level. I am hardly going to train FLHs to learner standards.
I don't have a closed view to any proven advanced technique however I wont be suggesting to my customers that they should not block gear change when changing up the gearbox
Rob