It’s chilling that people drive at 81 mph on the motorway – says IAM Roadsmart

[hir]

So for all you folk that can't bring yourselves to leave the IAM, what's stopping you setting up an alternative organisation? Is there some magic legal protection IAM has? Marketing? I mean if you really want to attract folk to be better drivers wouldn't abandoning the IAMs image be a great first step in the right direction?

The short answers are no, no, no, and don't even bother thinking about it.

Who wants to go to the trouble and expense of setting up an alternative advanced driver charity organisation? Who would fund it? By what mechanism could it become a national organization? In what way could it be marketed at scale such that it had a better image than the IAM? The IAM and RoSPA's national group structures evolved over a period of many decades and it would be very difficult and time-consuming to nowadays create a group structure in competition with both IAM and RoSPA. Any new organisation would have to be run on commercial lines and based around a well known and highly competent advanced driver with an ADI qualification, as are many small, local driver training organisations around the country. Sorry, but starting another charity-based advanced driver organisation is a complete non-starter.

Attracting people to be better drivers is not the issue that the membership has with the IAM and the IAM's image. In my experience, the general public aren't interested in the IAM's image; 90% of the general public don't know what the IAM is; most people think it's pet food. Although we rant and rage about the IAM's marketing and perceived poor image on this and other forums, the truth is we're the only ones who notice and are in the least bit bothered. The general public neither notice nor care what the IAM says or does.

So, for anyone who wants to get involved and actively help other drivers become better, more confident drivers, the IAM and RoSPA are the best, and only, practical source of recruits. I would certainly encourage anyone who is genuinely interested in helping other drivers to improve their driving to sign up as an observer without delay. Don't worry about the IAM's image, it's wholly irrelevant to what you want to achieve.

[Horse]

some form of umbrella organisation does add weight/kudos. Also IAM/Rospa do offer a recognised test, that any breakaway would be unable to do.

But not impossible. OK, it was under the auspices of the BMR RTS, but the Blue Riband Advanced Award was invented - actually by Kent IAM (based on their 'IDCAM' sessions) because they were not happy with HQ and were considering breaking away.

HPC is self-controlling (for want of several words others are far better placed and informed to add)

Rapid Training have gradually developed from amateur status.

Hopp Rider Training

And there's the DVSA Enhanced Rider. That demonstrates the benefits of a parent organisation

[sussex2]

Many moons ago when I took the IAM test I remember being underwhelmed by it as opposed to Rospa.

[jcochrane]

So for all you folk that can't bring yourselves to leave the IAM, what's stopping you setting up an alternative organisation? Is there some magic legal protection IAM has? Marketing? I mean if you really want to attract folk to be better drivers wouldn't abadoning the IAMs image be a great first step in the right direction?

Something we have been considering along those lines.

To expand on this we have been looking into whether to switch to RoADA or alternatively become independent and recommend the RoDA test for those that would like a test.
It is unfortunate that you can no longer just take a test with IAM but now have to pay for a course that is creeping towards £200.

[martine]

Many moons ago when I took the IAM test I remember being underwhelmed by it as opposed to Rospa.

How long ago and why underwhelmed?

[hir]

To expand on this we have been looking into whether to switch to RoADA or alternatively become independent and recommend the RoDA test for those that would like a test.

An interesting thought. What would be the advantage of being independent rather than affiliated to RoSPA? With affiliation you would at least get the benefit of an umbrella organisation, as others have said already. However, it is an umbrella organisation with less presence than the IAM, and that's saying something!

I believe one of the downsides of dis-affiliating from the IAM is that, in accordance with the group's constitution, the group's funds, such as they are, will revert to IAM Head Office. And don't even think about having a Knees-Up and spend all the money before you dis-affiliate. The trustees would likely get a call from the Charity Commissioners telling the trustees to foot the bill themselves.

No, I think the only way to keep one's blood pressure at normal levels and avoid periodic attacks of apoplexy and anger is to put to one side all feelings of angst, anxiety, and apprehension that one might have about the IAM and rise above the confused messaging emanating from HQ, and just get on with the task of helping others to improve their driving. Focus on thinking about the associate, not about the IAM.

Just a thought.

[Horse]

To expand on this we have been looking into whether to switch to RoADA or alternatively become independent and recommend the RoDA test for those that would like a test.

I believe one of the downsides of dis-affiliating from the IAM is that, in accordance with the group's constitution, the group's funds, such as they are, will revert to IAM Head Office. And don't even think about having a Knees-Up and spend all the money before you dis-affiliate.

However (and I kno nuffin about this), what about justifiable spending? For example, Thames Vale AM used to fund a day out every two years with Rapid Training for all of their Observers. I'm sure that any move as suggested wouldn't happen overnight, so planning could involve such upskilling for Observers whether or not they stay with the IAM.

A few questions:
- how much surplus do Groups typically have?
- does HQ bail out a Groups that are poorly managed financially?
- are all Groups set up as individual charities? If so, how do any remaining funds revert to HQ? If it's in the Group's control, couldn't they rewrite the T&Cs?

[Gareth]

I abandoned the IAM years ago. I couldn't see what purpose it served except to parrot certain types of road safety advice.

Many moons ago when I took the IAM test I remember being underwhelmed by it as opposed to Rospa.

Why not tell us a little more about your various beefs with the IAM?

• In your second comment, were you complaining about the test itself, or the support you received from a volunteer in helping you work towards the required standard? You drew a comparison with RoADAR; had you already lifted the standard of your driving before embarking on preparing for the IAM test?
• Are you saying the required standard was too low? If so, how would you know? Did you drive badly on purpose during your IAM test?

[Horse]

And a bit more on abandoning a large umbrella organisation. [Yes, personal experience, sample of 1]

The BMF had been in existence for decades when it set up its training 'arm', the RTS. The group I was with joined the RTS in 1982. Blue Riband was taken on in '88. In 4 years from '89 I took the Blue Riband from 3 pilot centres to 45 across the UK. I was a Proficiency ztest Examiner, Part One Examiner and a BMF area rep. Eventually, I ended up running an RTS affiliated training centre. So it's fair to say I was a tad 'invested'.

But. The BMF & RTS changed and it no longer felt right for me or offered the support for our training. So I stopped membership, our club no longer affiliated. The world kept turning, we carried on training, and successfully too.

NB One example of my disaffection: the BMF produced a promotional video. Hurrah! It included the RTS. Hurrah!! It showed a clip of a rival organisation. WTF?!?!

[Gareth]

are you folk who are IAM members going to quit in disgust

Probably not.

I came to advanced driving through RoSPA, didn't bother with continuing membership or retests as, at the time, I was unclear about how it worked. Instead I learned from whom I could get professional training, and took my interest there.

Later on I found the car insurance scheme I wanted to use offered a discount for current IAM or RoSPA membership so, knowing that I didn't (and don't) care for retests, bought an IAM course & test. I'd also been wondering if my driving was systematic enough. I kept IAM membership even after that particular insurance stopped being available in case, once again, I'll need it for a discount, although that's looking less and less likely.

More recently, after being impressed by accounts of a few local group members who'd worked towards and taken the Masters test, I thought it might be fun to be an observer. I really don't know why I thought that, at all, since it pushes me well outside my comfort zone. Don't see how it relates to people taking the Masters test, other than it seemed they were more enthusiastic about driving than most IAM members, and they were also observers. Also, I realised that a fair number of the people I have driven with informally are IAM members who are or have been involved with observing and, perhaps, I sought to emulate and follow their example.

I've been much happier taking part in ADHub diving days, not having to meet a required style of encouragement. I'd really rather just be that miserable bloke who keeps on telling you what you've been doing wrong, than be nice, encouraging, and praising, and thinking about filling in a report with categories that don't seem to quite match what bothers me the most.

However I have two associates at the moment, and I certainly don't wish to stop trying to help them while they continue to be interested.

Pretty much every day that I drive I see others that really could do with some help. Just yesterday there was one who was completely inept - I might have called the police non-emergency number had I not been one-up. I don't get to meet those people, so can't help them improve.

I reflect that driving days have become infrequent, and don't provide any continuity. I've seen the same people battling the same driving problems over some years and, while they can do better with someone encouraging in the car, it doesn't seem to stick. I'm not sure driving days are as good a vehicle for a skill for life so, maybe, the continual drip of people who have actually paid money in the hope of getting some help seems like a worthwhile use of my time.

On the other hand, I'm very much more interested in trying to help people drive better than I am in helping them to prepare for the IAM test, so there's already a dissonance.

My involvement with the IAM continues to be at the bare minimum. I don't go to group meetings. I nearly always put the IAM magazine in the recycling, unread. I don't follow the IAM on social media. In fact, grumpily, I don't do social media at all. I rejoice at a prior arrangement to drive with a friend rather than go to an observer development day. Currently, local observers don't need to retest; if that changes and there's a push for locals to become national observers then that won't interest me.