Institute of Advanced Motorists - Xmas Present!!

[gerrymoore]

Been given this course from my wife as a Christmas gift..something I've been thinking of for many years.

Has anyone passed this test and can give me any hints or tips?

Meanwhile, being a BMW driver, I'm busy trying to find out what the indicators are used for..I think they may be important..but there's nothing about them in the manual

 

[the snooper]

Did you hint you wanted to go on the course or does the wife simply think your a bad driver and need it

 

[WorkshopChris]

Meanwhile, being a BMW driver, I'm busy trying to find out what the indicators are used for..I think they may be important..but there's nothing about them in the manual

Keep looking in the manual, there must be a section in there somewhere probably the same bit that mentions if you turn the hazards on you can stop anywhere to pick up dry cleaning, or pop in a shop to pick up a paper or coffee.

 

[Mee]

Could be worse I suppose, it could have been an Audi.

 

[Migmac]

I did the advanced drivers course years ago, it was forced on us by work. I actually enjoyed it and learnt a lot. It did change my driving habits quite a bit. I found the commentary you do whilst driving hard to begin with but got used to it fairly quick. I found it made me more aware of the things round about me. Some insurance companies give you discount. Indicators- only use them if you think somebody is going to benifit from you using them.

 

[Badger1bear]

The best thing an instructor said to me with regards to indicators was ........

If your sitting at a junction and somebody is coming towards you with their indicator flashing it can only mean one thing with 100% certainty. It's not that they are turning left or right, it's telling you that the bulb works

 

[pedrobedro]

Meanwhile, being a BMW driver, I'm busy trying to find out what the indicators are used for..I think they may be important..but there's nothing about them in the manual

Read this before you go on the course if you are going in the beemer

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I have to stick up for BMW drivers, they/we get a hard time http://www.bmwblog.com/2015/10/20/why-are-bmw-drivers-hated-so-much/

Very often these cars are 'driven like you stole it', because someone just did! Besides, if only everybody obeyed the rules......

 

[wookie]

I did the advanced drivers course years ago, it was forced on us by work. I actually enjoyed it and learnt a lot. It did change my driving habits quite a bit.

Best course I've done so far is motorbike license, treat everybody as they if they haven't seen you and are out to kill you, a lot of the skills you learn doing that license improve your car driving.

Indicators- only use them if you think somebody is going to benifit from you using them.

From what I see driving these days few people know how to use Indicators correctly at a roundabouts and especially at mini roundabouts, the norm around here is don't bother if your turning left or going straight on and maybe indicate if your turning right.

As far as beemer drivers, most of the obnoxious drivers seem to prefer an Audi these days.

 

[rtbcomp]

...

As far as beemer drivers, most of the obnoxious drivers seem to prefer an Audi these days.

I've noticed that, I think it's because of an increase in literacy, people who used to struggle to spell 'B-M-W' can now manage "A-U-D-I".

 

[DrDeAtH]

Literacy you say?
Aaaaaaaallrighty then...

http://thumbsnap.com/Gh5dQeL2

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Increase in literacy you say?

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Adui-A4-B6-2001-2004-1-9-TDi-Intercooler-with-Pipes-/222346044736?hash=item33c4db6540:g:GtMAAOSw5cNYKhTb&_trkparms=pageci%3A38b78991-ce95-11e6-a6ae-74dbd1e0b709%7Cparentrq%3A4ff3d85d1590a2b143dae4e2ffcb324f%7Ciid%3A1

Yeah, ok.

I thought he was trying to spell goodbye

 

[WorkshopChris]

I've noticed that, I think it's because of an increase in literacy, people who used to struggle to spell 'B-M-W' can now manage "A-U-D-I".

None of them made it to the end of the alphabet to discover that the big red X means lane closed, well around this area anyway.

 

[colnerov]

Hi, borrowed from elsewhere.



A Day In The Life Of An Audi Driver
The other day I was cruising along as usual coming onto one of my motorways, which was very busy with inferior cars.
First off, I couldn’t believe that the volume of traffic DIDN’T slow down for me AT ALL as I came off the exit ramp! I had to squeeze into a barely big enough gap between two cars in order to get onto my motorway!
The driver of the car behind me did realise his mistake though and honked an apology to me with a long blast of his horn.
Unbelievably, I had to do the same again before I could get to the Audi lane.
Anyway, once I was in the Audi lane and posing along at 110 mph enjoying the adulation that the inferior car drivers were giving me, I noticed an inferior car ahead of me which was not only in the Audi lane of my motorway, but was driving at a ridiculous 70 mph!
Naturally, I got within a foot or so of his rear bumper and flashed my headlights to remind him he shouldn’t be in the Audi lane of my motorway and to get out of my way.
Of course, once he realised it was an Audi behind him, he did just that, but I could hardly believe it when he pulled straight back out behind me!
He also tried to keep up with me and when he realised I would out-run him, he put on some blue lights in his front grill and urged me to get onto the hard shoulder so that he could congratulate me on my excellent car.
Needless to say, I was eager to oblige and when we had stopped, the man gave me a piece of paper confirming what I already knew – that my car goes fast!
Apparently he wants everyone to know what a superior car I have, so I had to take my drivers licence to a police station to be sent away to have some points put on! (They’re not free points either – they’re £40 each and I was only allowed 3.) But the man at the police station said that because I drive an Audi, it won’t be much longer before I earn the full 12 points, and then I won’t even NEED a driving licence, so they will take it off me!
See, now THAT’S the sort of respect you get when you own and drive an Audi!

 

[malcolm]

any hints or tips?

The advanced motorist training is useful - it is mostly to do with observation and positioning yourself to spot accidents before you get involved in them. It is very much like motorcycle training.

They can try to trick you. Be sensible and forceful when that happens. Sometimes on these courses the instructor takes you out and drives like an ****. You are responsible as a passenger too and should ask him to stop at the next safe place so you can have a word with him. When you do that punch him in the face for me please as I failed that one (wasn't IAM training). You are there to be safe and obey laws so call out the instructor if he suggests anything different (and punch him in the face if possible, or failing that at least give them some verbal abuse).

I have had only good experiences with driver training.

 

[armalites]

Indicators- only use them if you think somebody is going to benifit from you using them.

I like this one, I read post on another forum where a guy had been out with a friend who was a Police Advanced Driving Instructor, at one point when he indicated the friend asked "Why" to which he replied "Because I was turning". The point his friend then made was if you had been fully aware of everything around you and not just going through the motions you would have known that nobody was going to see you indicate so you didn't need to. It's an interesting point because I bet you couldn't argue that on a driving test.

 

[malcolm]

But why did it matter that the fellow indicated when there was nobody else around that he noticed? Doesn't put much strain on the finger to indicate and nobody else was bothered so what is lost in doing that?

Daft assumption to assume you know about everything going on around you all the time without fail. Easier to just follow the habit of indicating even when there is nobody there to indicate to.

 

[armalites]

He didn't say it mattered he said there was no need to do which is bit different, I agree with you that there is no harm in doing it all the time.

Your second point explains what he is getting at you shouldn't assume anything a good driver should be aware of everything

 

[Seadog]

The point I think that is being made is that he wasn't paying full attention to his driving and was reacting mechanically when he wanted to turn.

The Police driving manual makes a point of this and, I believe, it's one of the publications that is (was) recommended reading for those doing the IAM course.

Too many people sit in their motorised armchair and don't have a clue what's going on around them.

Why are you sitting in a 'right turn only' lane and indicating?

 

[Migmac]

The point I think that is being made is that he wasn't paying full attention to his driving and was reacting mechanically when he wanted to turn.

The Police driving manual makes a point of this and, I believe, it's one of the publications that is (was) recommended reading for those doing the IAM course.

Too many people sit in their motorised armchair and don't have a clue what's going on around them.

Why are you sitting in a 'right turn only' lane and indicating?

I still have the police training manual.

How many times have we seen people put the indicator on and forget to cancel it? If you put it on only when required. You know have put it and on and therefore less
likely to forget to cancel it and cause confusion.