Review of my IAM Momentum drive

[zadocbrown]

The fact that your feeback generally relates to style rather than safety is certainly encouraging,

No it's not. It suggests strongly that the examiner was looking at the wrong things.

Care to expand, rather than disparage?

I'm not saying the driving was unsafe. It may have been of a good standard. But that's all relative, and it's disappointing that the examiner didn't focus on something more substantive than choice of steering method.

I should say I haven't been able to read the report, but it's what the OP has taken from it that matters. Given what he reports do we think the session will a) improve his driving b) inspire him to take more tuition c) make him want to join IAM?

For a one off coaching session it's so important to get the focus right, and that doesn't seem to have happened.

[superplum]

For a one off coaching session it's so important to get the focus right, and that doesn't seem to have happened.

The devil is in the detail, Momentum is not a coaching session. It's an assessment - IAM quotes "A 60 minute on-road, general assessment by a qualified IAM examiner." There is no mention of advice or guidance etc; that comes from Skill for Life.

[zadocbrown]

For a one off coaching session it's so important to get the focus right, and that doesn't seem to have happened.

The devil is in the detail, Momentum is not a coaching session. It's an assessment - IAM quotes "A 60 minute on-road, general assessment by a qualified IAM examiner." There is no mention of advice or guidance etc; that comes from Skill for Life.

There clearly was an element of coaching in this case. So perhaps there is some confusion.... In any case, my point stands as much for assessment as anything else. It's about getting to the important factors.

[true blue]

The first thing I learned when I took the IAM SfL course was how the System of car control worked, and how it applied to all aspects of driving. Without it, I could't have worked on the more subtle aspects of positioning, cornering, overtaking etc.

Having read both the OP's report and the observer's report, there was plenty said about planning ahead in the latter. OK, it wasn't as explicit as it might have been, and perhaps focussed a little too much on the mechanics of the System, but I expect that the OP was hoping for someone to 'read between the lines'.

So, OP: the report is a little superficial, but once you've done a bit more Advanced driving you'll realise that it's pointing you in the right direction more than it might perhaps seem now. If you can, get hold of a copy of Roadcraft and see what it is that you've been missing. (Personally I find it a rather dry book, but others disagree, any in any case it does lay down the principles of the System of car control pretty well).

[04smallmj]

So, OP: the report is a little superficial, but once you've done a bit more Advanced driving you'll realise that it's pointing you in the right direction more than it might perhaps seem now. If you can, get hold of a copy of Roadcraft and see what it is that you've been missing. (Personally I find it a rather dry book, but others disagree, any in any case it does lay down the principles of the System of car control pretty well).

Thanks for the reply. I have 2 copies of Roadcraft, the latest one and the slightly older one . I quite like reading it, the diagrams are useful too.