Advanced driving test

Sizzler

First off apologies if its been discussed before (last post I could see was a few years back tho).

Has anybody taken the advanced driving test?
Any use?
Cost?
Benefits to insurance premiums?

Im not thinking of doing it for the insurance reduction its just something I would like to do from a personal point of view and just wanted to get some more info on it before taking the plunge!

Presumably you can fail the test as well?! If you do what happens then?!

Anan1

I did it 4 years ago, found it very useful. AFAIK, Hibernian are the only insurance co to offer discounts for passing it, 20 or 30% as I recall. If you fail then you're no worse than if you'd never done it. That said, if you're interested enough to actually apply and do the day's training then you're unlikely to fail. I think it cost around IR£120 including the training. Here's a link:www.aim.org.uk

By the way, that link shouls say iam.org and not aim.org. Seems to work though!

Sizzler

I rang ISM about this yesterday and apart from a very poor sales pitch from some dude there seemed to be very little benefit in actually doing this test. Their emphasis seemed to be on your existing skills rather than trying to teach you something new They wanted €250 for a 4 hour session, that was 2 hour theory and 2 hour practical.

I asked about the insurance benefits and he said they were in negotation with an Irish insurance company but nothing had been agreed yet.

I rang my own broker and they said Hibernian are the only ones that give you discounts for doing it, but its a bit of a placebo as they are one of the most expensive insurers in the market anyway so you wouldnt be gaining anything really!

I was also surprised to hear theres no agreed standard for the advanced test, everybody does it differently and theres no generic certificate. Seems a bit of a farce to me for people who want to take it more serious?

Bluehair

The IAM are a different thing to the ism by quite a margin and IAM generally are extremely well regarded in the UK. Well worth up learning the skills involved.

BrianD3

If you want to do something for personal satisfaction you could try to pass a rigid truck (C licence) or coach (D licence) test. It would be work out more expensive than doing the advanced car test though

Skyuser

Tesco insurance give a discount also for it.

Hotblack Desiato

Why do you seem to need a financial incentive to be a better driver?
Isn't being safer, making better progress within the law and reducing the stress on vehicle and driver enough for you?
A lot more bikers, here and in the UK, than car drivers are taking up advanced driving.
Yes we're more vulnerable than car occupants, but it doesn't do any of us any good to sit in the hospital bed saying "it wasn't my fault". Recognising the fact that other road users make mistakes, and reducing your vulnerability to the mistakes of others, is vital.

Sizzler

ninja900 wrote:

Why do you seem to need a financial incentive to be a better driver?
Isn't being safer, making better progress within the law and reducing the stress on vehicle and driver enough for you?
A lot more bikers, here and in the UK, than car drivers are taking up advanced driving.
Yes we're more vulnerable than car occupants, but it doesn't do any of us any good to sit in the hospital bed saying "it wasn't my fault". Recognising the fact that other road users make mistakes, and reducing your vulnerability to the mistakes of others, is vital.

As I said in my OP, im not doing it for the financial incentive, its about learning something new and beefing up existing skills, esp how to control the car in a given situation.

Idleater

Sizzler wrote:

As I said in my OP, im not doing it for the financial incentive, its about learning something new and beefing up existing skills, esp how to control the car in a given situation.

I am not sure that the Advanced Driving courses teach you "how to control the car in a given situation". I think they teach you not to get into that situation in the first place. And/Or recognise the early onset of a "situation" and deal with it before you need to control the car.

If you want to learn how to "control the car" do one of the Racing days at mondello.

L.

Tobias Greeshman

nereid wrote:

I am not sure that the Advanced Driving courses teach you "how to control the car in a given situation". I think they teach you not to get into that situation in the first place. And/Or recognise the early onset of a "situation" and deal with it before you need to control the car.

If you want to learn how to "control the car" do one of the Racing days at mondello.

L.

Yeah you're right there. I done the Hibernian Ignition course a while back, which has bits of the Advanced Driving Test in it. I was expecting to be taught how to deal with getting out of a skid, but no, it was more in tune with how to identify hazards, and deal with them so you can predict a safe outcome.

Sizzler

nereid wrote:

I am not sure that the Advanced Driving courses teach you "how to control the car in a given situation". I think they teach you not to get into that situation in the first place. And/Or recognise the early onset of a "situation" and deal with it before you need to control the car.

If you want to learn how to "control the car" do one of the Racing days at mondello.

L.

MAJOR lol at the moral high round in your post here. Loada bollix.
Im not expecting how to learn how to do handbrakers bud or do doughnuts, I want to see what the experts view is on general safe driving behaviour which would ultimately make me a better driver.

And as for the early recognition of hazards before they happen, thats not a one size fits all solution, its bollix.
EG:
I was driving home one afternoon and some dozy little skanger in a punto came around a 70 degree bend at full pelt and lost control of the car and missed me by about 6 foot. Now please tell me how I could have avoided that "hazard"? Maybe I should go to Mystic Meg instead of the IAM?

Idleater

Sizzler wrote:

MAJOR lol at the moral high round in your post here. Loada bollix.

erm, thank you Mr Sizzler. Tell the same thing to your Advanced Driving Instructor though when they disappoint you with the things that I have merely pointed out to you.

Sizzler wrote:

Im not expecting how to learn how to do handbrakers bud or do doughnuts, I want to see what the experts view is on general safe driving behaviour which would ultimately make me a better driver.

Thats good because that is the correct attitude to have towards driving motor vehicles.

Sizzler wrote:

And as for the early recognition of hazards before they happen, thats not a one size fits all solution, its bollix.
EG:
I was driving home one afternoon and some dozy little skanger in a punto came around a 70 degree bend at full pelt and lost control of the car and missed me by about 6 foot. Now please tell me how I could have avoided that "hazard"? Maybe I should go to Mystic Meg instead of the IAM?

Well, if you insist,

First off, as it is a 70 degree bend, you cannot see what is coming around it so you should position yourself in such a way that you can see as much as you can while going around it.
Secondly, what you learn in the Advanced Course is that you should expect the unexpected, especially where you cannot see where the unexpected is coming from (around a blind bend). So instead of going around the blind bend at eg 100kmph, you should drive at a speed where you can determine at all times that it is safe to proceed.
Next, when the muppet does come around (unexpectedly) you are in a position on the road that most benifets you (because you can see him earlier), and are driving at a speed where you can control the cirucmstances better and therefore you can take avoiding action earlier and safer than you would do if you had for example taken an incorrect line. Otherwise you would have seen them later and therefore had milliseconds instead of seconds to plan and execute your avoidance manouvre.

There is nothing mystic meg about it. You simply learn to drive in such a way that you are best prepared for unexpected eventualities. You therefore are buying time which can be used in unexpected circumstances. Circumstances when you have to react instinctivily yet safely. It can be the difference between being able to slow your vehicle to 30kmph and crashing rather than just about slowing to 60kmph and crashing.

Either way, you have bought yourself and with a bit of luck the muppet a good chance of survival.

L.

Sizzler

First off, as it is a 70 degree bend, you cannot see what is coming around it so you should position yourself in such a way that you can see as much as you can while going around it.
Secondly, what you learn in the Advanced Course is that you should expect the unexpected, especially where you cannot see where the unexpected is coming from (around a blind bend). So instead of going around the blind bend at eg 100kmph, you should drive at a speed where you can determine at all times that it is safe to proceed.
Next, when the muppet does come around (unexpectedly) you are in a position on the road that most benifets you (because you can see him earlier), and are driving at a speed where you can control the cirucmstances better and therefore you can take avoiding action earlier and safer than you would do if you had for example taken an incorrect line. Otherwise you would have seen them later and therefore had milliseconds instead of seconds to plan and execute your avoidance manouvre.

There is nothing mystic meg about it. You simply learn to drive in such a way that you are best prepared for unexpected eventualities. You therefore are buying time which can be used in unexpected circumstances. Circumstances when you have to react instinctivily yet safely. It can be the difference between being able to slow your vehicle to 30kmph and crashing rather than just about slowing to 60kmph and crashing.

Either way, you have bought yourself and with a bit of luck the muppet a good chance of survival.

L.

LOL. Eh, talk about stating the obvious ! If thats what the instructor is going to tell me then I might as well keep the 250 lids in my sky rocket.You dont happen to work for Gay Byrne in the NSC do you? LOL

Idleater

Sizzler wrote:

LOL. Eh, talk about stating the obvious ! If thats what the instructor is going to tell me then I might as well keep the 250 lids in my sky rocket.

You don't know how right you are.

In fact, the Advanced Driving course just teaches us how to drive properly - like we should be doing all the time. Instead of just applying for a piece of green paper, getting a car and off we go onto the roads....

Sorry for it to be such of a let down to you. No, Really. Sure what is the point in you paying to be taught how to protect yourself when in fact it is clearly everyone else that is wrong.

L.

Sizzler

nereid wrote:

You don't know how right you are.

In fact, the Advanced Driving course just teaches us how to drive properly - like we should be doing all the time. Instead of just applying for a piece of green paper, getting a car and off we go onto the roads....

Sorry for it to be such of a let down to you. No, Really. Sure what is the point in you paying to be taught how to protect yourself when in fact it is clearly everyone else that is wrong.

L.

Majorly disappointed I have to say I thought I was going to learn something new but all you're telling me is it teaches me stuff I already know...maybe theres a niche in the marketplace for a new and improved AM test that teaches people the next level instead of emphasising the basics.
I never said everybody else is wrong...dont go making assumptions.I posted here to get real feedback from people taking the test and if it was of value etc, didnt ask for a lecture on driving skills or assumptions about what I know or dont know.

Idleater

Sizzler wrote:

I never said everybody else is wrong...dont go making assumptions.I posted here to get real feedback from people taking the test and if it was of value etc, didnt ask for a lecture on driving skills or assumptions about what I know or dont know.

I apologise.

I would still recommend doing an advanced course. You would be surprised how much you can learn. This is part of the mentality behind the courses - that you wish to improve no matter how good you are.

If you are already driving to a good standard, then they can teach you how to get the "polish" to clean it up even more. You could be taught different observation techniques, or maybe even there is something that you thought you were doing correctly wasnt so.

I did it for the bike, mainly because of the inherint dangers to motorcycles on the road, but what I learned can be applied across to cars which I also drive.

L.

bbability

BrianD3 wrote:

If you want to do something for personal satisfaction you could try to pass a rigid truck (C licence) or coach (D licence) test. It would be work out more expensive than doing the advanced car test though

Actually if you are interested in taking this road, have a look at the fas website. They run HGV Courses at various centre's across the country.
I'm stringly thinking about doing the IAM test. I did a 1 day course years ago with a driving school in Dublin. I learned more that day about a car. The skid car was a great experience...