www.learners.co.uk - Beyond the Driving Test



We encourage you to work towards taking an Advanced Driving Test - best attempted after you have gained a good deal of general driving experience

What is advanced driving ?

The phrase advanced driving was adopted in 1956 when The Institute of Advanced Motorists was founded to encourage British motorists to improve their driving skills and demonstrate them in a new advanced driving test

The driving method and style adopted was that used by British police drivers. At its centre is a system of car control which is applied, with an element of flexibility at times, to all driving situations. The "system" has been developed over the years, and you can most easily find out about it by buying the book Roadcraft (published by The Stationery Office, available at good bookshops).

Roadcraft devotes some space to discussing driver attitude and mental characteristics, but focuses mainly on introducing and developing the "system".

The two principal organisations offering Advanced Driving Tests, The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), use "Roadcraft" as their bible. They take for granted that you have a good knowledge of basic driving theory.

Although the word "advanced" might imply to you something out of reach and complex, it just means doing a really good job of driving on the road. Many people have taken an Advanced Driving Test and passed, without any prior training - because that's how they drive every day. Ideally all drivers should use skills of this quality - then there would be no more need to use the word "advanced" - it would just be "normal".

Positive elements of advanced driving ...

Just thinking about your driving is both good for you and for other road users. So if the goal of an advanced driving test motivates you to think more, that must be good in itself.

May be you would consider taking some training to improve your driving skills: another good idea.

Maybe you'll take and pass an advanced driving test: fine too, but only really of lasting value if you continue driving at that standard or preferably want to improve further still.

After all, if driving more safely isn't the most important goal for you when you're behind the wheel, then what is?

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to become an advanced driver ...

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