Advanced driving

Take your driving to the next level

What exactly is advanced driving? Is it all about controlling skidding and handbrake turns? Well, yes and no. Expert associations, such as the Institute of Advanced Motorists, describe the requirements of advanced driving as the following:

• The ability to control the position and speed of the vehicle safely, systematically and smoothly.
• Using road and traffic conditions to make reasonable progress unobtrusively, with skill and responsibility.
• A positive but courteous attitude and a high standard of driving competence.
• Concentration, effective all-round observation, anticipation and planning.
• Good handling skills, placing the vehicle at the right place on the road at the right time, at the right speed and gear.

Since then other organisations have been set up such as the Royal Society of the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Advanced Drivers and Riders, and the High Performance Club (HPC), each of which conduct a form of advanced driving test based on the Roadcraft system of vehicle control used by the UK Police Force.

The benefit of such schemes has been proven. According to the Advanced Driving UK website, statistics show that drivers who have passed their Advanced Test have a 50% to 75% less chance of causing an accident.

Links for further information

• www.iam.org.uk - Institute of Advanced Motorists
• www.rospa.org.uk - Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
• www.hpc.org.uk - High Performance Club (HPC)

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