IAM

[wagstaf]

I passed my IAM advanced driving test 4 years ago now.

I renewed my subscription for the next 2 years but let it lapse last year. I feel slightly guilty but honestly do not feel I am getting value for money from my membership. I didn't join for the subsidised insurance (Direct Line was cheaper) or the other member benefits but to pass my advanced driving test. Having done that there seems little point in remaining a member. I wonder if anyone has any comments or feels the same?

Thanks

Mark.

[martine]

I think there are several reasons for remaining a member of the IAM...

* you support the charity's mission of improving road safety (in much the same way people who donate to Oxfam don't ask: 'what do I get for my money'?)

* you want to continue your driving education

* you want to becomes an Observer or help you local group in some other way

* you want a quote for Surety insurance

If none apply then I can quite understand you dropping your membership.

[jameslb101]

I've been a member for two years, but think I'll let my subscription lapse next time round, for the following reasons.

*Although I agree with the principal of the work (improving road safety through driver education), I don't think their implementation of it is anywhere near as good as it should be. As I see it, all the work is done by the local groups, who work on a voluntary basis.

*I don't see the IAM being that useful in continuing my driver education. It's resource is it's members, and most of those in the group who I'd like to continue to drive with on occasion are all on here anyway.

*I won't be around enough to continue to observe.

*Surety don't like me because apparently my barge is "high performance" Surely the benefit of being an advanced driver is that you should be able to handle something modestly warmed up, but apparently I'm incapable of that. The funny thing is that the Volvo is the safest car I've ever had (actively and passively), but despite having 2.5x the power of my last car, and 4x the power of my first, it's also the car in which I've had the fewest 'moments', although that's probably more of an age/maturity/experience thing.

The cost of national + local membership is close to £50, and that's looking prohibitive. As a consumer you're told to "vote with your wallet", so that's what I'll do. Not in a disgruntled, I'm-making-a-point kind of way. Just in terms of weighing up the personal costs and benefits with regard to my financial situation going back out of full-time work and in to full-time education.

[ROG]

If I was not an observer then I would also quit the IAM

If I could be an observer with just the local group subs then that would make me very happy

As there are not that many observers then I am surprised that the IAM does not give free memberships to them

[martine]

*I won't be around enough to continue to observe.

...I feel I should point out to readers here that James is likely to be going to be living away from Bristol soon.

The cost of national + local membership is close to £50, and that's looking prohibitive.

I think £50 a year to enable me to continue my main 'hobby' is pretty good value.

[jont]

I think £50 a year to enable me to continue my main 'hobby' is pretty good value.

you feel you wouldn't be able to continue enjoying driving without IAM membership?

I'm currently evaluating my continued RoSPA membership. While I think the group activities are generally a good thing, I'm struggling to reconcile the views of the overall organisation with my own (particularly those expressed in "Care on the Road" that reads ever more like a Brake publication). I'm therefore not particularly happy that I'm contributing funds to an organisation whose public views I can't support.

As for

* you support the charity's mission of improving road safety (in much the same way people who donate to Oxfam don't ask: 'what do I get for my money'?)

I wish more people did ask "what do I get for my money?" - or more importantly "what fraction of my donation actually gets spent on the cause it's purported to be supporting?" /thread drift.

[jameslb101]

*I won't be around enough to continue to observe.

...I feel I should point out to readers here that James is going to be living away from Bristol soon.

EFA

The cost of national + local membership is close to £50, and that's looking prohibitive.

I think £50 a year to enable me to continue my main 'hobby' is pretty good value.

But you don't have to be an IAM member to practise advanced driving, in fact someone could come to ADUK and be mentored to an IAM (or more likely, much higher) standard by one of us, without spending a penny.

I'd love £50 to seem 'good value' but I'm going from a situation where I had a full-time job and most of my income was disposable, to having an income a fraction of what it was, on which I'll have to sustain myself from, in the capital city. I'm even selling the car.

[wagstaf]

Thank you for your replies.

I think that £50 is expensive for a yearly subscription for IAM plus the local group. I think that one of the problems with IAM may be the communication - I do not regularly hear of them in the press and there are many ways of lobbying and publicising the Institute in current society. The magazine doesn't really have much in it.

RoSPA, comparatively, seem to be £25 per year so that may be the way forward for me.

I would like the opportunity to have a "refresher test" in the future. For new entrants, the RoSPA test at £48 for is good value for the test when you consider IAM currently charges £133 for test and affiliation of your local group who voluntarily arrange observations.

[gannet]

I too have often reconsidered whether to keep my IAM membership going. The one thing that has kept me going is the fact that I can't observe without being a member... though less and less time recently to observe negates that need...

oh and east surrey group would need a new membership secretary!

[martine]

james and jon...of course I can still enjoy my driving and be 'advanced' without being a member but a significant part of my 'hobby' is Observing, training Observers and being on the committee of one of the largest IAM groups...all of which I mostly enjoy.

The IAM is the largest road safety organisation in the UK (world?) and does have influence and does get increasing amounts of publicity. It's far from perfect however and I would much rather work within than criticise from outside.

£50 (IAM) or £25 (ROSPA) for a year...I really think there are much more important criteria in chosing an organisation to subscribe to.

[kfae8959]

I've found that setting particular, measurable targets has helped motivate my driving development. Although I'm more of a supporter of RoSPA, because it insists that its advanced drivers and riders demonstrate that they are maintaining the standard, I took the IAM test because it was there. I now retain my membership of both organisations because I find it rewarding to help others improve, and one key way of doing that is through observing / tutoring. Some areas have a strong RoSPA group and a weak IAM group, and in other places it's the other way round; never knowing where I'll find myself next, I keep up both!

People have expressed different ways of dealing with their sense that the national organisations don't speak for them effectively - withdrawing their support, favouring other groups like ADUK, and so on. For now I try criticise from within, and to use the opportunity of coaching associates to cultivate their attitudes and spread the message of increased safety through education. Whichever organisation you're with, it does seem that if you want more out of it than just the grille badge, you may need to go looking for it.

David

[Slink_Pink]

I have retained IAM membership and am currently considering the Rospa course, primarily to get the refresher training. As has been said, I agree that there is little to offer from IAM membership long term. I am, however, not in a local group at the moment and do benefit considerably from the IAM Surety deal (both vehicle + house) so this has more than compensated for my annual fees. I do enjoy the magazine although I also find that only small sections of it appeal to me. My hope is that by retaining membership I can contribute to their road safety approach which I broadly support and have the ability to introduce AD to outsiders.

[GJD]

I'm glad that I am not alone in that; I have been thinking exactly the same thing for the last couple of years. Each issue that drops through the door takes increasingly less time to "read" and dump straight in the recycling. (Note: the thick paper makes a good litter tray liner if you happen to use them).

Interesting. I don't have a cat so I hadn't thought of that option. I am disappointed that it's not printed on softer paper and delivered on a roll ready to hang in the bathroom.

The only thing that keeps me renewing is that I actually quite enjoy the tri-annual refresher test.

No need to renew to do that. If you keep your membership then you get your retest for free. Or you can drop the membership and pay for the retest every three years. The cost is about the same (in fact, I think a little cheaper) and you don't get their disgusting newsletter intruding on your life.

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

£50 (IAM) or £25 (ROSPA) for a year...I really think there are much more important criteria in chosing an organisation to subscribe to.

RoSPA is £22.50 if we're being pedantic (it seems I am )

[jameslb101]

£50 (IAM) or £25 (ROSPA) for a year...I really think there are much more important criteria in chosing an organisation to subscribe to.

RoSPA is £22.50 if we're being pedantic (it seems I am )

Plus a local group fee?