Services - WOLVES IAM

SERVICES OFFERED BY WOLVERHAMPTON ADVANCED MOTORISTS GROUP

Taster Drive Sessions – Open to all interested in having their driving assessed by an experienced advanced driver
Module training in many aspects of driving – Open to all interested in enhancing their driving skills in a particular area such as Motorway Driving, Night Driving, Driving Alone
Guest speaking at your own event – we can provide a speaker who can talk about advanced driving to groups small or large
Mentoring to full IAM Advanced Driving Test level – we can support you to improve your driving skills to Advanced, Fellow or Master level within the IAM

TASTER DRIVE SESSIONS

This is a key feature service offered.The Wolverhampton IAM Group provides free “taster sessions” for any driver interested in having their driving skills reviewed by a qualified IAM Group Observer, (a saving of £39 over the normal fee).

The only requirement is that you hold a full UK Driving Licence, that your car is street legal and that you have insurance. (We will ask you to sign a simple declaration to this effect at the time of the drive).

What to Expect on the Day of the Assessment?

Your driving assessment is an opportunity to try out some of the techniques developed in our Skill for Life advanced driving course with the guidance of an experienced Advanced Driving Observer.

You’ll get a feel for how acquiring new skills can help you stay safe, grow in confidence and get more enjoyment from your driving – plus you’ll gain an insight into the IAM and how we help drivers develop.

The drive will take place in your own car and lasts for around one hour.

What Happens Next?

Once you’ve completed your assessment, your Observer will give you some useful feedback regarding the drive you have just completed and answer any questions you may have.

There’s no obligation to do anything further – it’s all part of our commitment to encouraging a love of driving and enhancing road safety.

If you decide you would like to develop your skills, your Assessor can tell you more about Skill for Life and the benefits of IAM membership.

Use this opportunity to simply check your skills or ask any questions you may have about how the IAM works and the opportunity it provides, as a charity, to improve driving safety and enhance driving pleasure despite the difficult road conditions we all live with at this time.

If you would like to have a taster session please e-mail our Group Secretary by clicking here. Please put “Taster Session” in the Subject Line.

MODULE TRAINING

Within the Group, as a service, we can offer individual module training in many aspects of driving that “trouble” motorists; these modules include the following:

Night Driving
Winter Driving
Vehicle Technology
Vehicle and Health Checks
Mobile Phones and In-vehicle Distractions
Alcohol Awareness
Managing Space and Confined Areas
Avoiding Collisions
Speed Awareness

We can tailor support to meet your needs on pretty much any aspect of driving on today’s busy roads.

For further information please contact us using the “Contact Us” page on this web site or come to one of our monthly meetings and have a chat with one of our Members. (Dates and location of these meetings are shown on the “Events Diary” page of this web site)

THE ADVANCED DRIVING QUALIFICATION

There are now two routes to gaining your Advanced Driving qualification, through a sequence of mentored drives followed by a test undertaken with a qualified advanced driving examiner or through continuous assessment within the group in which case you will not have to undertake a final test. (This route primarily for those who are concerned about tests and do not perform well under such pressure)

The requirements of both routes are exactly the same and the standard of driving expected is exactly the same so the following notes apply in both cases.

What the Examiner Expects

The Test takes about 90 minutes, over all types of roads and using your own car. The four essential qualities are Concentration, Observation, Anticipation and Planning. The Examiner is the holder of a Police Advanced Driving Certificate. A full understanding of what is expected can be found in the IAM publication “Pass Your Advanced Driving Test” or “Pass Your Advanced Motorcycling Test” as appropriate. A number of important points are mentioned here:

The Principle of Advanced Driving

Do you concentrate properly and avoid distractions?
Can you read the road and anticipate potential hazards in good time?
Are hazards dealt with in a planned and systematic way?
Do you use your mirrors before changing your speed or position and do you always give a signal to other road users if they will benefit or appreciate one?
Can you drive with reasonable restraint, but not indecision?
Is your judgement of speed and distance accurate?
Do you drive with courtesy and consideration for other road users, including pedestrians?
Are you always in the right place on the road, travelling at the right speed with the right gear engaged and able to stop safely in the distance you can see to be clear?

Advanced Driving Skills

Are steering actions safe, smooth and accurate, and do you pass the wheel through your hands?
Are gears smoothly and correctly selected?
Do you make full use of automatic transmission, if your car is fitted with it?
Is your braking smooth and progressive?
Do you use “acceleration sense”?

Advanced Driving Skills on the Road

Do you keep up a reasonable pace and maintain good progress if conditions permit?
Do you anticipate and react correctly to the situations developing ahead?
Are the correct road position chosen and signals given in good time for the next manoeuvre?
Are all signals, signs and road markings observed, obeyed and approached correctly?
Are overtaking manoeuvres carried out smoothly, decisively and safely?
Do you drive with proper restraint and proper sensitivity of control when the roads are slippery or visibility is reduced?
Are manoeuvres such as parking, reversing, carried out smoothly and competently with effective all-round observations?

Advanced Drivers are expected to control the risks, despite the incorrect actions of others. Every journey can have its unexpected moments.

However, even successful candidates make minor mistakes, which did not prevent them from passing the Advanced Driving Test.