Advanced Driving Courses

Mister Jingles

Just curious to what these's really are ? Worth it or waste of time ?

Thinking of doing it sometime in the future and just wanted to see what some of the experienced people around here make of them.

**Timbuk2**

It's not really what you're looking for but if you happen to be with Aviva, they have something called an Ignition test - it's basically like a driving test, and if you pass it you are eligible for a 20% discount on Aviva insurance! I did it a while ago, it isn't hard and it's slightly less formal than the driving test, in such that the tester tells you what you did wrong, what he'd recommend to do, etc. You also do it in his car as opposed to your own!

It's free to do and I was able to schedule my ignition assessment for only 2 days after I rang!

Mister Jingles

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

It's not really what you're looking for but if you happen to be with Aviva, they have something called an Ignition test - it's basically like a driving test, and if you pass it you are eligible for a 20% discount on Aviva insurance! I did it a while ago, it isn't hard and it's slightly less formal than the driving test, in such that the tester tells you what you did wrong, what he'd recommend to do, etc. You also do it in his car as opposed to your own!

It's free to do and I was able to schedule my ignition assessment for only 2 days after I rang!

I'm with Aviva atm and know all about the Ignition test but would like to know what an advanced driving course is.

matt70iu

There seems to be a lot of terms attached to ignition though. I enquired and am not eligible as my car is a 1.8, max size you're allowed is 1.6.

An advance driving course would be good, would love to know how to handle a slide on the ice given the winters we've been having. I know they say to turn into the skid an all that, but when under pressure, that can be difficult to remember:)

Mister Jingles

matt70iu wrote: »

There seems to be a lot of terms attached to ignition though. I enquired and am not eligible as my car is a 1.8, max size you're allowed is 1.6.

Its a bit ridiculous the engine limit, there are many high power cars around now that are under 1600cc such the Corsa OPC, Bravo 150bph ect ect yet. But thats all for another thread someday.

matt70iu wrote: »

An advance driving course would be good, would love to know how to handle a slide on the ice given the winters we've been having. I know they say to turn into the skid an all that, but when under pressure, that can be difficult to remember:)

When I think of advanced driving things like knowing how to overtake, high speed driving and motorway driving comes to mind. ? Am I right

matt70iu

Mister Jingles wrote: »

matt70iu wrote: »

There seems to be a lot of terms attached to ignition though. I enquired and am not eligible as my car is a 1.8, max size you're allowed is 1.6.

Its a bit ridiculous the engine limit, there are many high power cars around now that are under 1600cc such the Corsa OPC, Bravo 150bph ect ect yet. But thats all for another thread someday.

matt70iu wrote: »

An advance driving course would be good, would love to know how to handle a slide on the ice given the winters we've been having. I know they say to turn into the skid an all that, but when under pressure, that can be difficult to remember:)

When I think of advanced driving things like knowing how to overtake, high speed driving and motorway driving comes to mind. ? Am I right

Yeah that would be it roughly I would say:) something like pass plus in the Uk would be great, with pass plus specific lessons geared towards it.

It tests things like motorway driving, night driving etc. Think it's a while before we'll see anything like that here.

Heck, we've had enough difficulty coping with demand for the regular driving test:)

sentient_6

Mister Jingles wrote: »

When I think of advanced driving things like knowing how to overtake, high speed driving and motorway driving comes to mind. ? Am I right

Advanced driving is about every single aspectic of driving & the pursuit of perfecting them as much as possible. Planning ahead, observation, the system of car control, & applying it all to all the different things you face on the road: different types of road, juctions, good & adverse weather, anticipating obstacles, overtaking, motorways etc etc etc. Literally everything. The end principle really is going about your business on the roads as efficiently, confidently & quickly but safely as possible.

There's a book by the IAM(Institude of Advanced Motorists) called 'How to be an Advanced Driver'. It makes for good reading. Lots of people would recommend Roadcraft which is the basically the british police drivers handbook but its very....technical. The IAM book takes all the stuff in Roadcraft & puts it in plain english. Reading it & try to apply whats in it as much as possible is half the battle imo.

With regards 'high speed driving', you'd fail any advanced driving test for braking the speed limits, i.e. your only allowed go as fast as the limits, combined with conditions will allow.

Jasus i sound like a feckn advertisement in half of that. :pac:

Best Driving

Hi All,

I am a ROSPA Gold level, a DIAmond special test advanced driver and a driving insturctor. Advanced driving is about extending your knowledge and control in the car. Primarily your awareness, observation and control. Most advanced driving tests are based on Roadcraft the police drivers handbook by the metropolitan police drivers in the UK. If you bought Roadcraft this would give you a very good insight into advanced driving.

Also Chris Gilbert www.driving4tomorrow.com has two brilliant DVD's for those interested in becoming a roadcraft quality driver.

The advantages of being an advanced driver is firstly you are less likely to crash and secondly because of this most insurance companies will quote you considerably cheaper.

You can sit the advanced test without official lessons. But contact IAM or Rospa and they can point you in the right direction.

Davy

Mine reduced by nearly 25% when i completed it. You will definitely improve some of your skills/ observation when you do it. IAM have a book themselves that goes through everything you need to know, its very similar to the roadcraft book, either would do you.

I was surprised how informal the test was compared to the actual RSA tests. You get graded over about 20 items, 1 is excellent, 2 good, 3 satisfactory etc. Cant remember how many you need to get but you get the idea. I would recommend people interested in improving to do it, if your not that interested you want put the stuff into practice

Mister Jingles

Thanks people.

The Roadcraft book sounds interesting, must look it up.

I always knew that when someone completes an advance driving course their insurance goes down a bit but I find it hard to believe that Aviva will give a discount of any sort because of the Ignition test.

sentient_6

Mister Jingles wrote: »

but I find it hard to believe that Aviva will give a discount of any sort because of the Ignition test.

Aviva do give a discount for Ignition, thats the whole point of it. But it hasn't a single thing to do with advanced driving & shouldn't be mistaken for such.

Mister Jingles

sentient_6 wrote: »

Aviva do give a discount for Ignition, thats the whole point of it. But it hasn't a single thing to do with advanced driving & shouldn't be mistaken for such.

I understand that but my point is, because they have the Ignition test which is to see how much of a discount someone can get off there policy they probably won't care if you do hold an advanced driver cert i.e you not going to be getting more of a discount, things could never be that hunky dory in insurance terms.....well in Ireland anyway. Open to correction though.

-Chris-

Why not do both courses - maximise your discount potential.

A mate of mine did Ignition, he said he learned quite a bit and thought that there was a big element of advanced/defensive driving to it. Certainly it'd be worth doing before you cough up the dough for Advanced Driving lessons.

Mister Jingles

-Chris- wrote: »

Why not do both courses - maximise your discount potential.

A mate of mine did Ignition, he said he learned quite a bit and thought that there was a big element of advanced/defensive driving to it. Certainly it'd be worth doing before you cough up the dough for Advanced Driving lessons.

I suppose that would be best, do the Ignition then a few weeks down the line do an advanced driving course, complete that, get my cert of proof and see what more can be knocked off my policy.

sentient_6

Mister Jingles wrote: »

I suppose that would be best, do the Ignition then a few weeks down the line do an advanced driving course, complete that, get my cert of proof and see what more can be knocked off my policy.

Find out first whether Aviva even recognize advanced driver certification in the first place.

Mister Jingles

Mister Jingles wrote: »

I understand that but my point is, because they have the Ignition test which is to see how much of a discount someone can get off there policy they probably won't care if you do hold an advanced driver cert i.e you not going to be getting more of a discount, things could never be that hunky dory in insurance terms.....well in Ireland anyway. Open to correction though.

sentient_6 wrote: »

Find out first whether Aviva even recognize advanced driver certification in the first place.

That's the point I was trying to make above. Either way I'd still like to do it.