ADUK Archive

Hi

I had my first drive with my observer on Sunday. I was waiting in car park as nervous as if I was on a test My nerves soon disappeared once I started driving. I was quite amazed at how much I learnt in that one session. The first thing he told me was not to tuck my thumbs around the steering wheel AND i havent done this since!! I think I will find it quite hard to change the way I drive, even though I have been driving for less than a year. I have always been taught to change down gears when I slow down, so to come to roundabouts and have to jus brake as if to stop or make the decision to go and change gear at last minute I found quite hard. Also driving on country lanes is totally different to how I was taught and I really enjoyed it

I was really pleased when my observer told me he thought my driving was mature and if i hadnt told him i only passed 10 months ago he would say Id been driving for bout 10 years!! He gave me score at the end of about 60% (average driver 20% - IAM advanced 80%). Im well happy with that too

Im glad I decided to do it and am looking forward to learning more. Thanx everyone who has given me advice so far

Very glad it is working so well for you, Sonia.

It seems strange to me that as a learner you were taught to do so many things in a different way from the way IAM teaches - but I am sure you will pick up the changes very quickly.

x-Sonia-x wrote:I have been driving for less than a year. I have always been taught to change down gears when I slow down

Who taught you to slow down using the gears

x-Sonia-x wrote:He gave me score at the end of about 60% (average driver 20% - IAM advanced 80%).

Can someone explain this

ROG wrote:

x-Sonia-x wrote:I have been driving for less than a year. I have always been taught to change down gears when I slow down

Who taught you to slow down using the gears

Hi Rog

Perhaps I worded that wrong. I wasnt taught to slow down using the gears, I was taught if you are slowing down and you have decreased your speed then you should change down your gear accordingly.

ROG wrote:

x-Sonia-x wrote:He gave me score at the end of about 60% (average driver 20% - IAM advanced 80%).

Can someone explain this

My first drive was a 'drive check' not sure whether that makes a difference On the bottom of the IAM driving assessment form it has list of percentages:

Average 20% - IAM advanced 80% - RoSPA Gold 100% - police class 1 - 112%

Maybe its something thats just for my local group??

x-Sonia-x wrote:Average 20% - IAM advanced 80% - RoSPA Gold 100% - police class 1 - 112%

Maybe its something thats just for my local group??

I suspect it may be just arbitrary numbers After all, I'd suggest that the difference between a RoSPA Gold and a police class 1 driver is significantly more than the difference between IAM and RoSPA Gold, and probably more than an average to IAM driver

In the context of the check drive, it sounds like you're 2/3 of the way to being IAM standard though, which is very good So when's your next drive then?

Chris

ScoobyChris wrote:
In the context of the check drive, it sounds like you're 2/3 of the way to being IAM standard though, which is very good So when's your next drive then?

Chris

Hi Chris

My next driving isnt arranged yet. I need to phone my observer and sort it. I am having few problems with my car which im trying to get sorted today, i will wait til I know whats wrong with it before I arrange my next drive. Though I must say I cant wait Having said that my first drive was hard work, I was probably out for 3 hours in all, my observer said I will probably need a nap when i got back, and guess what..... I slept all afternoon

x-Sonia-x wrote:On the bottom of the IAM driving assessment form it has list of percentages:

Average 20% - IAM advanced 80% - RoSPA Gold 100% - police class 1 - 112%

Maybe its something thats just for my local group??

Well, as there's no such thing as 100%, I think your group is making it up for effect. It's not on official IAM paperwork.
Probably an old "class 1" copper helped make it up!

It might be "what percentage of the time does a driver concentrate"? That might fit (but over 100 is daft).

x-Sonia-x wrote:
Average 20% - IAM advanced 80% - RoSPA Gold 100% - police class 1 - 112%

Maybe its something thats just for my local group??

I hope so. What a load of tosh!

zadocbrown wrote:What a load of tosh!

While that might be so, I think it's a useful approximation model to help a person new to advanced driving to understand where things fit in and that there's a possibility to improve beyond the level they're currently attempting.

Curious, I thought, that an IAM's group form should mention ROSPA Gold.

Well done x-Sonia-x for taking this first step.

jcochrane wrote:Curious, I thought, that an IAM's group form should mention ROSPA Gold.

Well, everyone needs a goal to aim for

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:

jcochrane wrote:Curious, I thought, that an IAM's group form should mention ROSPA Gold.

Well, everyone needs a goal to aim for

Then again there's IAM Special Assessment for a real challenge.

jcochrane wrote:Then again there's IAM Special Assessment for a real challenge

I concur, training from a (ex)police traffic officer in order to get any sort of a decent percentage was best part

ROG wrote:

jcochrane wrote:Then again there's IAM Special Assessment for a real challenge

I concur, training from a (ex)police traffic officer in order to get any sort of a decent percentage was best part

I recently experienced the same with an IAM examiner who takes members out to prepare them for Special Assessment. She was with Sussex Traffic. I must say her instructional skills were quite exceptional.