Why not?

[jcochrane]

So why doesn't everyone do an Advanced Driving course?

Is it money, no interest, can't see the benefit, no time or what?

I often hear folks who have just pased their test saying they are glad they will never have to do it again, a sentiment I shared at the time I passed mine.

I suspect that for many people the idea of voluntarily putting themselves through another driving test is something many people would want to avoid like the plague.

I think you have a point.

Also when I first heard about advanced driving I assumed it was just "learner test driving" but with less mistakes and had nothing to do with use of speed, cornering lines, positioning for vision and stability etc. etc.

[MrToad]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - a change of image would be a great benefit to the promotion of AD.

I'm convinced that a TV series or decent advertising campaign, done by people who actually know what they're talking about would make a big difference. After all, there are 30 million licence holders out there - all of them with a potential interest in the subject. All Observers have a stock of quick tips that provide an instant benefit for the Associate - a 30 second advert explaining one of these could illustrate that AD has a practical benefit.

Perhaps a celebrity doing the IAM course (sorry, 'taking the Skill For Life challenge') could combine a known name with an opportunity to get experts on screen. It would take some technical innovation to illustrate proper distance observation (which never shows up well on video), but I'm sure it could be done.

Learning to be a better driver does take effort and you'll never get everyone to sign up to it, but there must be a lot of people who just need a little persuasion.

My cynical side says that a factual, non-sensational program would never get commissioned. My optimistic side says that the current 'Oz & James Drink to Britain' series shows that facts can be successfully mixed with entertainment.

Anyone on here got lots of money and a TV production company? Chris Evans - are you listening?

[Sru_1980]

I certainly didn't want to do another driving test when I (finally!) passed my test - then I skidded on an icy road having been driving for a year, and wrote off another car (no injuries, thank God) - my fault entirely, driving too fast for the conditions. I was offered the opportunity of doing a "Driver improver course" which I did just to avoid getting points on my licence - I wasn't expecting to enjoy the course, but to my surprise, I did - that got me thinking about Advanced driving....I've always enjoyed the freedom that driving brings, but after the accident I realized I didn't "know it all" just coz I'd passed the DSA test - I think that's partly the reason people do or don't want to know about improving their skills - it's a very individual thing I think. Like cooking, we all have to eat, but it doesn't mean we all become chefs!

[TripleS]

I very much agree with what Tony (Mr Toad) has said, although it would be a huge task to overcome the sheer inertia and general lack of interest in driving. It needs some very positive incentives to get people interested in it.

What we need is the driving equivalent of Jamie Oliver; a bit of inspiration and light hearted approach - doing the things that matter and without getting too hung up on formality.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[AnalogueAndy]

Why doesn't everyone;

keep fit?
eat healthily?
read more?
give to charity?
contribute to their community / do voluntary work?
get to know their neighbours?
keep in touch with their families?
etc etc

The 'eat heathily' analogy is a very good one.

We all eat. There is plenty of information out there: government campaigns, food labelling, Jamie Oliver etc. Healthy food is widely available,everyone knows the damage they will cause if they eat crap, get fat, die of heart disease etc etc

Yet few of us chose to eat heathily, fewer still keep themselves fit, the percentage of the population clinically obese is climbing and we will all end up paying the price.

So why don't people eat heathily?

Yes you could look back through history at food production, marketing etc. Government (and Jamie) campaigns can help change attitudes but ultimately it comes down to the attitudes of society as a whole and an individuals choice as part of society. Individuals perceive 'eating heathily' requires more effort (sometimes true but not always - anyhow it's the perception that counts). Individuals, their peers and the populus simply don't care enough about their diet and health and the effect them not being heathy will have on them and society as a whole. They - your average individual and the population as a whole - are selfish and short-sighted.

The fact that most people fail to eat heathily is a reflection of the general attitude of the populations to those around them, others and society as a whole.

The same with driving.

That's the 'why'. How to change it? That's another question!

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

In this context, 'love' driving == love speed, and the frisson of risk that goes with inappropriate speed.

Not necessarily. I think it is the 'control' they get from behind the wheel (even if the reality is not quite what they think). For instance, I worked with a chap many years ago who loved driving but was an awful driver. He wasn't a speed freak or anything but his observation was bad and his approach to hazards all over the place to name but two problems. He just loved the freedom and control he got from behind the wheel but as he had passed his test wasn't interested in learning more.
And as ScoobChris wrote 'advanced driving' has not got the best press so why should he?
Regards
Brian

You're right, I was generalising. I think there's a certain type of driver for whom it does hold good, though.

[hanse cronje]

having a monotonal brummie as a figurehead doesn't bode well.

"sex" sells it has to be seen as "sexy", hip, cool, you need people who reflect that as long as it is not myleen klass that bloody woman is everwhere.

or you could rope clarkson [i]et al [/i]to do it, but i see that as fraught with problems on a number of levels,
or teach the principles from day one to new licensees which may have the benefit of encouraging fathers, mothers and older siblings to take it up, which has some anecdotal evidence that it can work.

[martine]

having a monotonal brummie as a figurehead doesn't bode well.

"sex" sells it has to be seen as "sexy", hip, cool, you need people who reflect that as long as it is not myleen klass that bloody woman is everwhere.

I quite agree - AD should be something every driver aspires to...it should be 'cool', desirable and the mark of an expert, safe and controlled driver with loads in reserve. If we were successful in highlighting the need and benefits, then we can show that actually everyone can improve and 'do it' (to differing degrees of course).

So if not Myleen or Clarkson, who should be our Advanced Driving 'tsar'?

[oxtondriver]

Could it not be two stars? A Male and a Female!
One star doing there IAM skills for life course. The other star doing there Rospa course. That way the public could compare the two course's at the same time as seeing what advanced driving is all about! Having the female and male star may just mean you could catch a bigger audience. Especially if the stars are very well known and are pleasing to the eye.


Kris.

[ROG]

A quote today from a trucker in a UK truckers forum - http://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB/viewtop ... 0&start=60

IAM is a load of crap, a self promoting self regulating body of mostly men who wear driving gloves and wear pork pie hats.

[waremark]

The key issue is how to sell the better driving aspects - you need a great broadcaster as the teacher, and both he/she and the producer would have to be committed to AD or the AD message would be lost in an effort to entertain. Seeing stars do things on screen does not help you learn how to do them yourselves. When they did a celebs learning to drive program (I remember that there were 6 celebs, and 6 out of 6 failed their tests) the show mainly showed the celebs making silly mistakes.

Wouldn't it be both better and more realistically achievable to get one of the existing and highly watched motoring programs - Top Gear or Fifth Gear - to include a regular slot on AD? If you could come up with a good enough presenter, and include a bit of competition between the boys (Put the cone where you think the car will stop if you brake at the marker, marks on specific aspects of a road drive, first to get Rospa Gold?), I could see it appealing to the producers. But who could be the presenter!

[MGF]

Top Gear was recently implicated in a road traffic accident in which the driver claimed to be following advice he had heard on the programme. The BBC responded by saying Top Gear is an entertainment programme and does not give driving advice.

For these reasons I cannot see AD being integrated into TG.

Perhaps the IAM could fund/produce a programme of its own on cable/sat TV?

[MrToad]

A quote today from a trucker in a UK truckers forum

Wow - there's some scary attitudes there. Many of them seem to think that fatal accidents are inevitable, and as a result there's no point in making the effort to avoid them.

There's a fundamental problem for you: even 'professionals' reject AD ideas - what chance is there to convince the general public? Perhaps the best we can hope for at this stage is to attract those who are already sympathetic to the idea, and aim for a gradual change of culture.

I'm also going to chuck a spanner in the ointment with regards to showing someone doing an IAM or RoSPA course: how will the volunteers in the local groups cope with more trainees? Is it possible to design a course that can guide the driver to being more advanced without practical tuition?

[waremark]

Top Gear was recently implicated in a road traffic accident in which the driver claimed to be following advice he had heard on the programme. The BBC responded by saying Top Gear is an entertainment programme and does not give driving advice.

For these reasons I cannot see AD being integrated into TG.

This is just the sort of reason I thought they might be interested in an AD slot - to show that they are responsible really.

[TripleS]

Top Gear was recently implicated in a road traffic accident in which the driver claimed to be following advice he had heard on the programme. The BBC responded by saying Top Gear is an entertainment programme and does not give driving advice.

For these reasons I cannot see AD being integrated into TG.

Perhaps the IAM could fund/produce a programme of its own on cable/sat TV?

Oh, is there money to be made by the IAM here, do you think?

I would prefer the likes of "Top Gear" to do it, but after all the negative publicity and general scepticism that the AD industry in general has invited, there is a lot of repair work to be done first; and if it isn't done soon there will be nothing left as a basis from which to work, because driving as we like it to be will be a dead duck.

Best wishes all,
Dave.