Why should I bother with the IAM and Skill for Life?
Because quite simply it could be the best investment you will ever make in your motoring career! The small number of hours behind the wheel developing your driving skills and passing your Advanced Driving Test will be a tiny fraction of the hours you will spend behind the wheel for the rest of your motoring life (think about it!). The modest cost of a Skill for Life programme will be a tiny fraction of the money you will spend on motoring during the rest of your life (best not to think about it!). However, these small investments in time and money will reap huge dividends every day for the rest of your motoring life.
In an extreme case, a Skill for Life might be just that - your life, that of a loved one, or the innocent pedestrian who just forgot to look. Advanced Drivers are 70% less likely to be involved in accidents than an average driver. They anticipate and allow for misjudgements by other road users. Being an Advanced Driver significantly reduces your risk of causing an accident, or being caught up in someone else’s.
Less dramatically, motoring is a high-budget item for most households. In fact, the average spend per car in the UK is around £3,500 each year. The average male or female driver in the UK is around forty years of age, so if we couple these two facts together, the average driver will spend another £140,000 on running their car before they even think about stopping driving at the age of seventy. Advanced Drivers are able to reduce a number of elements of their motoring costs: over 90% of IAM members are able to get a reduction in their insurance premium, a recognition of the lower risk. The techniques employed in Advanced Driving (such as not braking and cornering at the same time) mean that car wear and tear is less - tyres, brakes, clutch, shock absorbers, etc all last longer. Every mile takes much less toll on the car, saving on service and repair costs. The smooth driving style employed by Advanced Drivers means they enjoy much better fuel consumption. Fuel accounts for over 18% of the average motoring bill. A saving of only 1% of the average motoring cost would give a payback of 10 times on the investment in becoming an Advanced Driver. In reality the savings will be much higher, even more so for younger drivers and those with higher performance cars. These savings are those directly benefiting from being a better driver. IAM members also enjoy a comprehensive range of discounts on things such as breakdown cover, car hire, tyre replacement, and satellite navigation systems, further reducing the annual cost of motoring.
Letting the IAM develop your skills from being an ordinary driver to an Advanced Driver is very cost effective compared to the cost of getting your licence in the first place. According to the DSA, the average driver needs 45 hrs of lessons to pass the basic test. At the average cost of around £24 per hour, together with the test fee, use of the car for the test, etc, means the cost of passing the test is typically around £1200, excluding books, DVDs etc. This, remember, merely gets you to the minimum standard to be allowed out on the roads alone, where you then learn by your mistakes, as the statistics clearly show! By contrast, the Skill For Life package, at only £139, includes the Advanced Driving manual, as many Advanced Driving sessions as required, the test (conducted by an examiner who holds one of the highest level driving qualifications in the world), and automatic upgrade to IAM membership once the test is passed. As an Advanced Driver, you can then enjoy the fact that you belong to class of drivers whose skills and abilities are, without doubt, well above average, and you can continue to practice those skills every time you get behind the wheel. You will rediscover your love of motoring that you thought may have been lost forever. By continuing to be a member of your local IAM group, you will be encouraged to maintain your driving skills at a high level, and will have the opportunity to attend meetings and social events related to motoring and other matters.
Why delay? Enrol today and start your journey to being an Advanced Driver - you will save yourself money, be a much safer driver, and get the joy of motoring back into your life!
The difference between Basic and Advanced driving
The Government has made the standard Driving Test more difficult in recent years, with the addition of a multiple-choice written test and a computerised hazard awareness assessment. However it still only involves learning the most basic of driving skills, and doesn't include preparation for poor weather, motorway driving, and a lot more besides. The standard L-test is simply an introduction to driving a vehicle. Your “further education” takes place on today's congested roads and provides a steep and often precarious learning curve.
It doesn’t have to be this risky or haphazard, however, and this is where Advanced Driver education comes in. The Government’s Driving Standards Agency (DSA), in conjunction with other key bodies such as the Association of Driving Instructors, has laid down the criteria that constitute “Advanced Driving”, and hence the skills and behaviour required to be an “Advanced Driver”.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is the UK’s leading organisation dedicated to raising driving standards. Enrolling for the more in-depth and rounded content of our Skill for Life coaching programme will prepare you for virtually any situation you're likely to encounter - and give you the observation skills and anticipation to avoid many incidents and hazards you were previously unaware of! In essence, you can condense a lifetime's driving experience into a few months. Our Skill for Life programme is a complete package which covers an initial assessment of your current driving standard, and the necessary development of your observation and car handling skills until you reach Advanced Driver standard. The programme culminates in the Advanced Driving Test, upon successful completion of which you will become a full member of the IAM and will truly be able to consider yourself an Advanced Driver. The IAM’s Advanced Driving Test is recognised as the UK’s leading test of its kind and is DSA accredited.
