Advanced Driver Motoring Savings

[Darren]

I'v been playing with some figures, and I reckon, unless my maths and estimates are very wrong. Doing an Advanced Driving course could save the average motorist doing about 12,000 miles a year, on an average motor about £100 a year in overall motoring costs.

I'v put an Excel Spreadsheet up at http://www.advanced-driving.co.uk/public/adsavings.xls it's been virus checked etc.

Let me know what you think. It's fairly configurable for items such as insurance costs, brakes, clutch, tyres.

Is there anything I'v missed that should go on there, or are my thoughts a complete load of rubbish?

Cheers
Darren

[Nigel]

Darren

I don't have the software to read an xls document, any chance you can pop it onot word, or something free ?

I too save a lot of money from my IAM membership.

Vectra insurance £52.00 ( performance direct)
BMW insurance £30.00 ( heritage)
AA membership £50.00 ( AA )

Theres probably more, but thats all I could think of quickly

[Darren]

Nigel,

It's a spreadsheet with maths in it. What formats can you read, I can probably convert it.

Darren

[Nigel]

I have that adobe thingy, and the stuff windows comes with.

If you can't don't worry about it.

[Darren]

OK try http://www.advanced-driving.co.uk/public/adsavings.pdf

[AdamW]

Nigel,

How did you save the £50 with the AA?
Are there many companies accept the IAM and 'reward' you with a discount?

[Jon M]

Adam,

Have a look here for some of the discounts negotiated by the IAM:
http://www.iam.org.uk/Services/index.php
It's broken up into various categories down the left hand side.

Personally I think I've easily recouped the cost of the skill for life package through these discounts, with things like airport parking, holiday car hire, and AA membership. I also got £100 off my last insurance renewal because of my membership!

[AdamW]

Thanks Jon.

I never had any idea that we could get discounts.

[kevdyas]

My first years insurance was £1700 (I was 17), a year later with 1 Years NCB and my IAM membership it went to £820.

Kevin.

[rodericksdad]

Insurance,......... AAAAAAAAAGH,i will most definatly be taking my business elsewhere as from today,and not thru the IAM insurers,after losing my origional documents and no claims proofswhich they admitted to and then threatening to cancel my insurance,and the final straw came today when i asked for a quote for my new vehicle they were the most expensive out the lot and thought they were doing me a favour,then to top it off i have to pay a cancellation fee plus extras,fear not IAM insurers i will not be knocking on their doors again,(so much for insurance at reduced amount as i am a member who are they trying to kid),
best regards to all,Clive.
again brilliant website and forums,thanks.

[wenlocksimon]

I consider myself "work in progress" with regard to Advanced Driver Training, as I continue to trawl this site for pointers and suggestions that will improve my day-to-day driving. When I feel I am ready, I'll approach my local IAM Group and start observed drives.

In the meantime.......

The lessons I've learned from all the postees on here have proved invaluable.

I am more confident, adaptable, observant, courteous, swifter, safer, and more energy efficient than I ever was before! Shall we talk numbers? A full tank of fuel would - prior to using this site - have taken me (about) 497 miles at a stretch. Advanced Driving techniques allow 520 miles per tank!!!!!

Do the maths.

Advanced driving is the answer.

S

[Darren]

Doing around 500 miles per week, a 1mpg improvement in fuel economy will save you about £2 per week, or roughly £100 a year on an average car that would normally do about 35 to the gallon.

I suspect fuel economy savings for an advanced driver are better than that. My spreadsheet I use to work out my average is currently running at 39mpg

<waiting for Gareth to comment on why....too high a gear for most of the time .... However, I'm changing my style and will post the modified results>

[Gareth]

<waiting for Gareth to comment on why....too high a gear for most of the time .... However, I'm changing my style and will post the modified results>

The choice of gear doesn't always make a big difference for fuel economy, however it is good to avoid labouring the engine by using too low revs, and being in the correct gear means that both acceleration and engine braking are available.

What does make a difference is the overall degree of acceleration. An advanced driver will tend to look further ahead and plan better, so avoiding unnecessary acceleration, and perhaps using only as much as is needful in any particular situation..