Some Advice on Attitude Please!

[Tom Beeston]

Hi All,

I haven't posted here for ages (since it was hacked) and in that time I have finished university and got a job

I'm an IAM member and I have RoSPA Gold too, but since I've started driving as part of my work I've found my driving has slipped dramatically. I no longer have my nice Focus and instead have a large noisy smelly 4x4 Diesel

I'm driving to a lot of new places in an unfamiliar area, and find I'm geeting very distracted map reading etc etc, I also find I'm thinking a lot about what I'm going to do when I get there, and am not thinking as much as I could about what's going on around me. It's nothing horrific, but my driving is nowhere near as smooth as it was, I'm crossing my hands, not thinking about gears, changes are getting messier, I'm braking more etc and in places I'm just not concentrating.

I have tried commentary, but I find while I do it and my driving improves, I'm finding it hard to sustain as I begin thinking about what I'm doding when i arrive at my destination, and am only keeping commentary up for 5-10minutes.

Also, when I've finished at wherever I've been, I often find myself resting arms on the door, driving with one hand etc, as work can sometimes be quite tiring.

Any ideas as to what I can do? I want to get rid of all these little bad things before the escalate (as I'm sure they will) into bad/dangerous driving habits.
Any tips on attitude training/books to read? Cheers!

[Darren]

Im in a similar position. I think once you know what your supposed to be doing, you can train yourself to get back into it. People do slip, everyone does. The important thing surely is to spot it and get back to standard.

I wont say who, but one particular former very high ranking member of one particular organisation was possibly one of the worst drivers I have ever been in a car with.....being advanced is not just about passing a test, its wholly about attitude.

The only sure way to keep up standards is to be a regular member/observer at a group, but for me, thats almost impossible. I'm almost always working abroad these days.

Other ways I'v found is to keep up group membership and make sure you take part in driver of the year comps. Not to win it, but to get some free, critisism/feedback from the senior observers, or PC1's who judge it.

If nothing else, it kind of forces you to get back up to speed for fear of looking a bit crap in front of your peers.....

[Roadcraft]

It might be the time to kick start your learning....

ie: you've done the IAM/RoSPA thing...

have a look at something else...

either trackwork....

or if it's on road tuition and skill that you require...have a look at undertaking private advanced tuition from a reputable company/person..

I'm in no way advertising myself...as i'm some distance from Berkshire...but with some hunting around...i'm sure you'll find some place that suits....

you'll have to fork out a little bit of cash...but hey...don't you have to do that for anything in life...

besides...driving and getting better at it..isn't a chore...it's a pleasure...

isn't it..?

[JamesAllport]

Tom,

Don't be too hard on yourself. Your first job, particularly in a responsible profession, is always going to take it out of you. And you'll be much safer even with the odd lapse than if you had never done any training. It may be that just relaxing and accepting that until work becomes less strange and tiring, you won't have much spare energy for other things is the right answer.

BUT:

Don Palmer: www.donpalmer.co.uk lives in Berkshire and is highly recommended, though not cheap.

His Roadcraft is excellent but he also has a great deal more to offer as an engineer and limit handling expert . And he comes at his coaching from a subtly different angle to the IAM/RoADA mainstream.

Maybe just the thing to make it all seem a bit more exciting again.

James

[Jez]

I felt that I was slipping a few weeks ago. At weekends it was fine, very smooth, doing things by the book etc, but trying to get to work in the mornings or going home was getting ridiculous. Every time I leave enough of a gap someone barges into it, people decide you are not going quick enough when you're doing the limit and leaving a gap, so they overtake on the inside, they tailgate stupidly close for no reason.

I was finding it very hard not to react assertively to a lot of this stuff, instead of focusing on just being safe, and my driving was getting worse - getting like most of the others on the road. So I now deliberately try and drive like it is an observed drive every single trip. I do a cockpit drill, I give a commentary for a while, I do everything to try and keep to IAM standards. Normally it works, and when it does I enjoy it. When I have an off day or do something daft it bothers me long after I get out of the car. I've got the skills to drive well, but keeping the attitude right is the hard bit when everyone around you seems to be losing the plot.

[MikeG]

This is partly what being 'Advanced' is all about (IMHO). Not only are you driving to your own high standards/setting standards, but you are driving for their poor standards. Quite often you make some of the muppets bad driving look good, but they don't realise what you've done for them.

Mike

[Lynne]

Hi Tom

I remember when I first started out as an instructor I'd spend a lot of time driving time thinking and worrying about the job.

I agree with Darren in that when you start to relax into your job, you will then be able to concentrate on your driving again once more. The fact that you are aware of what's happening is of benefit and I'm sure that after the driver training you've done, you're not that bad, but just not happy that it's all less than the best you can give! I can at least give myself a slap on the wrists when I slack now.

Remember also as you get familiar with the new area/local knowledge your routes will become easier. Don't be too hard on yourself. I expect you are also pressured to getting places quite urgently at times.

As the Focus -v- 4 x 4 diesel I agree!! The Focus is much more user friendly ..I don't get half as much fun in the 4 x 4 and only drive it when doing horsey things. As for crossing hands, it may be wrong (help me someone) but sometimes I do have to cross them in the Pajero, the steering wheel is bigger and even though it has power steering I still can't always get the flipping thing round without a good old swipe of the wheel

Like what Jez says too..sometimes you feel like you are dropping to everyone else's standards..imagine you are being observed. Try and enjoy the driving..I try and use it as chill out time between lessons even if I am running late..

Lynne

[AdamW]

Tom,

Don't know if it's of any use but below is a link on attitude.

http://drivingattitudes.blogspot.com/

I am sure TP wont mind me linking it.

[JamesAllport]

Don isn't cheap, as I say. But there's also no-one else offering the combination of skills and the particular approach that he brings.

And if you're in a market place of one...

Also, don't forget that his rates for his car control courses include the cost of hiring Bruntingthorpe or Millbrook, neither of which are cheap.

J

[AdamW]

Depends on the quality of the cowboy plumber!

[redpenben]

Hi All,

I haven't posted here for ages (since it was hacked) and in that time I have finished university and got a job

I'm an IAM member and I have RoSPA Gold too, but since I've started driving as part of my work I've found my driving has slipped dramatically. I no longer have my nice Focus and instead have a large noisy smelly 4x4 Diesel

I'm driving to a lot of new places in an unfamiliar area, and find I'm geeting very distracted map reading etc etc, I also find I'm thinking a lot about what I'm going to do when I get there, and am not thinking as much as I could about what's going on around me. It's nothing horrific, but my driving is nowhere near as smooth as it was, I'm crossing my hands, not thinking about gears, changes are getting messier, I'm braking more etc and in places I'm just not concentrating.

I have tried commentary, but I find while I do it and my driving improves, I'm finding it hard to sustain as I begin thinking about what I'm doding when i arrive at my destination, and am only keeping commentary up for 5-10minutes.

Also, when I've finished at wherever I've been, I often find myself resting arms on the door, driving with one hand etc, as work can sometimes be quite tiring.

Any ideas as to what I can do? I want to get rid of all these little bad things before the escalate (as I'm sure they will) into bad/dangerous driving habits.
Any tips on attitude training/books to read? Cheers!

Hi tom
Try not to let the pressure of the job get to you.
Your safty is the most important, then all those around you.
Try to concentrate on your driving whilst behind the wheel, and think about the job when you arrive.
As for your bad habits,you know you have them, and being advanced you also know how to sort them out.
Driving for long periods at a time is totaly different than a one and half hour test. Hang in there and it will all fall into place.

cheers redpenben

[AdamW]

Are you trying to say something RPB?

[redpenben]

Are you trying to say something RPB?

Sorry Adam clicked the wrong button.

[AdamW]