Advanced Driving Hub

My son has just started work at a well known large insurance company.

During discussions he was asking about how IAM RoADAR advanced driving courses were perceived. I was surprised that the response from several depts was that the majority of responses from the general public consider IAM and RoADAR as a punishment because it is for improvement ie you must be a bad driver to attend these types of courses, like speed awareness etc.

So, is the conclusion that IAM and RoSPA have been ineffective promoting advanced driving over several decades?

Strange point of view. One I haven't heard before. Perhaps these people are thinking of the work related courses that many drivers get sent on?

Doesn't surprise me. If you start with the premise that most drivers think they are competent and have nothing to learn, any training would be seen as "re"training which would usually be for some sort of infraction.

And arguably, they have been ineffective at promoting advanced driving - certainly far less effective than say "Brake" in terms of mindshare where it comes to road safety. Or even at standing up for themselves against the image put out by TopGear of the "shufflers".

Is it that, somehow, certain staff are identified [crash history, in-vehicle telematics?] as needing 'correction'?

I've come across many people who have no idea what advanced driving is - they say things like: "yeah I did an advanced driving course a while back" and when questioned mention things like: Pass Plus, Speed Awareness, Skid Pan sessions etc.

ROADAR and IAM only touch a tiny proportion of the driving public... ~7,000 IAM associates per year from a driving population of > 30m and ROADAR much less. This is one of the reasons IAM wants to have several levels of 'membership' and keeps trying to promote driving modules to ease the way into the mindset of continuous driver improvement.

I would be the first to admit we are all failing by many measures.

jont- wrote:Doesn't surprise me. If you start with the premise that most drivers think they are competent and have nothing to learn, any training would be seen as "re"training which would usually be for some sort of infraction.

And arguably, they have been ineffective at promoting advanced driving - certainly far less effective than say "Brake" in terms of mindshare where it comes to road safety. Or even at standing up for themselves against the image put out by TopGear of the "shufflers".

I agree that they have been ineffective; for example Brake somehow seem to be out there constantly. The IAM don't help themselves by formally supporting BRAKE, it puts us in the same camp to many out there.

However, in this instance, I can't help wondering if this issue is partly to do with working in an insurance company; that must skew the responses somewhat.

jont- wrote:Doesn't surprise me. If you start with the premise that most drivers think they are competent and have nothing to learn, any training would be seen as "re"training which would usually be for some sort of infraction.

And arguably, they have been ineffective at promoting advanced driving - certainly far less effective than say "Brake" in terms of mindshare where it comes to road safety. Or even at standing up for themselves against the image put out by TopGear of the "shufflers".

What are the quantifiable benefits for an average driver from taking advanced driver training? If you want to promote anything then there needs to be a reason for people to pay up / take time / change behaviour.

Horse wrote:

jont- wrote:Doesn't surprise me. If you start with the premise that most drivers think they are competent and have nothing to learn, any training would be seen as "re"training which would usually be for some sort of infraction.

And arguably, they have been ineffective at promoting advanced driving - certainly far less effective than say "Brake" in terms of mindshare where it comes to road safety. Or even at standing up for themselves against the image put out by TopGear of the "shufflers".

What are the quantifiable benefits for an average driver from taking advanced driver training?

Unfortunately, for the average driver, there are very few (if any) quantifiable benefits. There are many families where there is only 1 advanced driver; that suggests that the others see very little benefit.

A purely personal point of view and why I undertook the IAM stuff, how to understand fast and safe on public roads.
In other words, that which is not spoken and can't be used publically.

Safer and more enjoyable driving - but difficult going on impossible to prove, and not a perceived need by most.