IAM & RoSPA

[Gareth]

RoADAR test fees have gone up a bit since I took their test but still seem quite reasonable.

[ScoobyChris]

interesting point...the hpc is something I'm ultimately interested in...

I got my RoSPA silver at the end of August and have just completed my HPC Entry Course .... I found going on Don Palmer's limit handling course back in November was very useful (and a lot of fun) and all the basic techniques were applicable to road driving and made my transitions between braking, steering and gas much smoother and more co-ordinated

Chris

[martine]

...I was practicing for RoSPA as well as trying for HPC. He said the styles were somewhat conflicting...

What would you say are the main differences?

[GS]

It would appear that no one wants to answer this quite reasonable question.

[Gareth]

What would you say are the main differences?

I would say much more precision, more prompt and positive use of accelerator out of hazards, better recognition of hazards, slower approach into and through hazards, (especially along busy urban roads).

Edited to add: I expect HPC members to see driving as an art, in which they continuously strive to improve. Many people see driving as a chore or a job of work, and this difference in attitude is significant but hard to quantify its effect.

What would be the main difference between a PC1 (or equivalent) and a typical IAM/RoADAR member?

[ScoobyChris]

Just to add to Gareth's post, my feeling is that their is also more focus on car control and "feeling" what the car is doing and how it is responding to inputs. There is also more encouragement to make progress and take/create overtaking opportunities.

Chris

[stefan einz]

I would say the syllabus for Roadcraft is extremely similar between IAM / RoSPA and HPC.

The roots of each are the same - the Police System of Car Control - and the objective is identical - to improve driving standards and hence safety.

HPC has published its Standards for each level of membership (entry, Silver, Gold) and these can be found at http://www.hpc.org.uk/standards/index.html.

For anyone interested in getting under the skin of what HPC driving is about, this is the only authoritative source.

Kind regards

Steve

[Big Err]

What would you say are the main differences?

I expect HPC members to see driving as an art, in which they continuously strive to improve. Many people see driving as a chore or a job of work, and this difference in attitude is significant but hard to quantify its effect.

I would expect this is the main difference between HPC and the other organisations. The others being more mainstream and more easily accessible to all. Lets face it, there are a lot of badge collectors out there, the enthusiasts are more likely to be here.

[TripleS]

Just to add to Gareth's post, my feeling is that their is also more focus on car control and "feeling" what the car is doing and how it is responding to inputs. There is also more encouragement to make progress and take/create overtaking opportunities.

Chris

In other words, HPC members are more inclined to be tearaways - very skilled and responsible tearaways of course - but what some would regard as tearaways all the same.

....and that is not said in a spirit of criticsm at all, honestly.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[crr003]

Lets face it, there are a lot of badge collectors out there, the enthusiasts are more likely to be here.

Never quite understood the negative connotations of "badge collector". If you like doing something and one of the outcomes of your hobby/infatuation is a badge/certificate, then so be it!

[crr003]

And that attitude is exactly the one that most people seem to have (probably due in part to the name) about HPC, along with the one that seems to equate membership with spending the GDP of large African states on motor vehicles, driving along lighting Cuban cigars with £50 notes. You've been in the passenger seat (admittedly snoring on one occasion) with a number of HPC members and 'tearaway' is about as far from the truth as you can get. Take your stick out of the pot...

Good Post.

[JamesAllport]

It would appear that no one wants to answer this quite reasonable question.

It was answered within 12 hours, GS, which given that we HPC folk are busy (and out driving every spare moment we get) doesn't strike me as bad.

We have, as Stefan Einz says, and uniquely among UK advanced driving groups, published our standards in full, for nothing, on the web.

When we had the young drivers' day in July, I spoke to several people who were IAM/RoADAR members who had just had demonstrations from HPC members. The two things that they all mentioned were smoothness and observation. They were impressed that the HPC drivers were seeing and using much more information than they were, and keeping the car very well balanced as a result.

James

[ipsg.glf]

Lets face it, there are a lot of badge collectors out there, the enthusiasts are more likely to be here.

Never quite understood the negative connotations of "badge collector". If you like doing something and one of the outcomes of your hobby/infatuation is a badge/certificate, then so be it!

Indeed. My certificates are filed away somewhere.

As for badges, I don't have any. I don't 'do' badges.

[Big Err]

Lets face it, there are a lot of badge collectors out there, the enthusiasts are more likely to be here.

Never quite understood the negative connotations of "badge collector". If you like doing something and one of the outcomes of your hobby/infatuation is a badge/certificate, then so be it!

Never meant to be negative with the term, after all if someone improves their standard of driving and hopefully safety on the road just to have a badge, then its a big plus to all of us.

[GS]

Hello James
I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. I have to admit that since I've been retired I spent far too much time at home when I too should be out doing something useful and / or interesting.
As far as I know though both the IAM and RoSPA also publish their standards on their web sights.
I have to say that I do think the question has been answered very well. We can argue all day about the standards of the three organisations but I also have to say that in my all be it very limited experience of the HPC, the enthusiasm of the membership is in a different league to that in the IAM and RoSPA. I'm sorry if members of the IAM and RoSPA disagree, but that is what I've found. I have said before that I think IAM and RoSPA groups would benefit if they had an HPC member in a useful position on their committees to try and pass on this enthusiasm both to associates and to members who have already passed their test and are looking to improve further.