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1. alfabus - Member

   Has anyone done one of these?

   My missus was worrying me a bit this morning when she gave me a lift to work... lots of funny gear selection, hesitating with lane changes and pulling out in front of someone at a roundabout.

   I am a patronising and condescending arse, so she won't take criticism from me well. Regardless, I think she could do with a bit of a refresher or some guidance from someone, so it would work best if that wasn't me.

   So, anyway... I suggested that we should both go on an advanced driving course together and she didn't seem too against the idea.

   Quick google turned up this half day course for £169... Anyone got any experiences of them? They look like a nationwide franchise type thing, where they'd book a local instructor. Would I be better off going direct?

   Any wider comments of these kind of courses, or suggestions of alternative things for us to do.

   Dave

   Posted 4 months ago #
2. joao3v16 - Member

   lots of funny gear selection, hesitating with lane changes and pulling out in front of someone at a roundabout.

   Sounds like she needs more experience/confidence with the basics, rather than anything advanced.

   (although I've never done an advanced driving course - maybe they address these things) ...

   Posted 4 months ago #
3. Zedsdead - Member

   Women are allowed to drive now?

   Sweet baby jebus! What is the world coming to?

   Posted 4 months ago #
4. alfabus - Member

   Sounds like she needs more experience/confidence with the basics, rather than anything advanced.

   She does lack general confidence... I think if she had some instruction in gear selection and overtaking it would make her realise that she knows how to do this stuff. The advanced courses I've seen aren't all J-turns and racing, they are just how to drive smoothly and safely on motorways and around busy towns.

   Dave

   Posted 4 months ago #
5. alfabus - Member

   also, it is a much easier sell to get her on an 'advanced driving course' than to say "you need to learn how to drive again".

   Dave

   Posted 4 months ago #
6. woody2000 - Member

   Good luck with that - I suggested my other half could do with something similar and I was lucky to escape "intact". Be very careful how you approach it, I was a bit direct and it was definitely the wrong way!

   

   Posted 4 months ago #
7. alfabus - Member

   Suggesting we both do it softened the blow somewhat.... I will see if she cuts my balls off tonight.

   Posted 4 months ago #
8. cr500dom - Member

   Whereabouts in the country are you ?

   I did a Day, with the Father of a freind of mine who is an Ex police intructor and still does a lot of advanced driving tuition for a number of scenarios.

   I got the day for an 18yr old relative of my Ex, as he had had a few near misses, and I went along too.
   I learned so much, I went home absolutely shattered, mentally exhausted more than anything.
   But it was hugely beneficial, mainly down to observation skills and judging speed more appropriately.
   A fantastic day out for both of us, and I`d happily do more of it.
   (I have also done similar days / training on a Motorcycle with equally good results)

   Posted 4 months ago #
9. alfabus - Member

   cheltenham

   Posted 4 months ago #
10. nbt - Member

    Might be worth getting in touch with your local IAM group

    http://www.iam.org.uk/groups/iam-groups-directory/detail/detail/85

    course last a few weeks and all aspects of "normal" driving are assessed and feedback given.

    Posted 4 months ago #
11. Onzadog - Member

    Agree with nbt. Both of you hook up with the local IAM.

    Posted 4 months ago #
12. cr500dom - Member

    Might be a bit Far, he is Surrey Based

    Posted 4 months ago #
13. mtbmatt - Member

    Try IAM and RoSPA (RoDAR).
    Both aim to develop driving attitudes rather than skills. Takes a while though, certainly not a one day course. More like a commitment over several months.

    Posted 4 months ago #
14. hora - Member

    In general I personally think you'd/I'd benefit more from skid-pan and a track day tuition than a IAM course.

    For your missus- definitely a refresher course. I'm sure standard driving instructors can offer a few lessons to watch and iron out issues though.

    You don't have to use a driving instructor before passing your test.

    Posted 4 months ago #
15. rocketman - Member

    Have done the IAM test they assume that you are actually able to drive and not simply sitting there and operating the controls (no offence).

    A lack of confidence will be definite disadvantage - I had to overtake a broken down lorry on a hump-backed bridge because the other options were either sitting there until it moved or turn round and go back.

    Posted 4 months ago #
16. willb - Member

    buy her the book called roadcraft before she goes on the course to get the heads up and help her to understand the lingo - vanishing point blah blah

    Posted 4 months ago #
17. alfabus - Member

    I've been looking at local driving instructors... quite a few of them do refresher courses.

    They seem like a good idea, but not sure how I'll sell one to her.

    Maybe arrange a skidpan day for us both and get her a refresher course before we go to 'get her confidence up'.

    Dave

    Posted 4 months ago #
18. hora - Member

    Sounds good.

    Honestly- Skidpan would benefit anyone. Maybe once or twice in your life the car will skid, slide, kick out.

    Posted 4 months ago #
19. PeterPoddy - Member

    Try IAM and RoSPA (RoDAR).
    Both aim to develop driving attitudes rather than skills. Takes a while though, certainly not a one day course. More like a commitment over several months.

    This

    You'll both learn stuff you didn't even know existed. And it's a lot cheaper than a one day course too. But it takes time, a bit if commitment and a willingness to learn.

    Posted 4 months ago #
20. Milkie - Member

    She does lack general confidence...

    
    Dutch Courage is what she needs!

    Posted 4 months ago #
21. cr500dom - Member

    Both of you go and do a Trackday, its good fun, you can explore the limits of the car in a relatively safe environment, and you`ll then know whether its a problem regarding technical skill in the car, or whether its more about Observation, planning etc on the road.

    My Ex benefitted greatly (once she stopped screaming) when I demonstrated her cars ability on a loose surface / snow, then swapped seats and got her to do the same, she was about to spend her first season in the Alps and was quite frankly a Passenger in the car directing it in a general direction.

    She was a long way from driving it, or being in control.

    But knowing just how much further she could push it than she thought possible, made the "Normal driving" on tarmac so much better

    Once you understand how it behaves beyond the limit of grip you are not so frightened of it, but you need to explore that in a safe environment to start with, rather than a downhill snow covered hairpin in the Alps

    Posted 4 months ago #
22. PeterPoddy - Member

    Oh, and skid pan for someone that can't even find the right gear? You having a laff?

    What's that going to teach you about observation, positioning, etc? Bugger all, that's what.

    EDIT
    Track day? No. Just no. Learn to drive slow before trying to go fast.
    **shakes head and wanders off**

    Posted 4 months ago #
23. 21dwb - Member

    Im an emergency response blue light driver which qualifies me to be an IAM (Institue of Advanced Motorists) member. Before trying an advanced course the driver should already be demonstrating the aptitude for advanced driving and observation.

    The problems youve highlighted would possibly be better addressed initially in a track environment where car control can be worked on. When car control is moved forward then start working on improving observations when driving on road.

    Easy way of doing this without any courses is when driving get your other half to say out loud all hazards that she notices along a drive.

    Eg "approaching roundabout 2 cars approaching from the right one from dead ahead, wait to clear then progress through junction." although feels weird at first this bring your observations on hugely with time.

    The roadcraft book mentioned earlier is the drivers bible so weel worth purchasing.

    Hope this helps a little

    Posted 4 months ago #
24. nbt - Member

    cr500dom - Member
    Might be a bit Far, he is Surrey Based

    alfabus - Member
    cheltenham

    Hora, shut up.

    Posted 4 months ago #
25. hora - Member

    PP no.

    NBT no.

    For me, its about confidence. The driver needs not to think that the car in a sense is on the verge of out of control. That there is a definite point where it will let go and what it will do.

    Those can be speeds that the OP's partner won't reach 99% of the time so already she'll feel more relaxed.

    I'm against attaining qualifications/accreditations as a fix. I think you should look at the basics first and the persons mindset.

    I bet the majority of drivers in the UK would freeze up if they were in a control situation or a close call with another car.

    As said on TopGear once, in Finland you are taught from a very young age about control in all conditions as a basic requirement.

    Posted 4 months ago #
26. Cougar - Member

    in Finland you are taught from a very young age about control in all conditions as a basic requirement.

    What's that got to do with driving?

    (-:

    Posted 4 months ago #
27. miaowing_kat - Member

    Went on a skidpan day years ago. Was really good fun, but I'm not sure I really learnt very much from it apart from 'boy am I glad my modern car has ABS'. As there was a group of us we didn't use our own cars, so I learnt nothing about how my car handles. Think the only other thing I remember is that it's much more fun to skid rear-wheel drive (and much more dangerous as I almost knocked myself out)

    (I had only been driving for a year or so at this point so that might be partly why I didn't get as much out of it)

    Posted 4 months ago #
28. nbt - Member

    You are as usual talking complete bollocks. I'm not saying a skid pan is useless, but it's not what the OP needs for his missus. She doesn't need to know how to push the car to its limits and then recover it - she needs to learn to read the road and respond accordingly. This may involve re-learning (or learning) how to control a car properly, which may be better in a closed environment rather than on the road - but at some point, she will need to be out on the road, as her problems seeem to be interaction with other road users.

    I'm against attaining qualifications/accreditations as a fix. I think you should look at the basics first and the persons mindset.

    You really do beggar belief sometimes. Top Gear is not the bible when it comes to all things automotive. Have you even attended an IAM Course? Can you explain what qualifications or accreditations it gives you, in place of real world experience? Where does the OP talk about "close calls"? This is NOT about how bad you are, it's about how another person drives. You cannot simply transplant what you want to do and what you enjoyed and assume that it will work for everyone.

    Posted 4 months ago #
29. saleem - Member

    The other half did her IAM course last year with her brother and dad, her dad is a driving instructor and ask if I wanted to do it at the same time, wish I did it now. She is was a good driver before albeit a touch aggressive with the brakes. The course was mainly held by retired cops in Warwick but the did go down the fosse so it might be more or less the same route.

    Posted 4 months ago #
30. IHN - Member

    I think you should look at the basics first and the persons mindset.
    

    Those basics being how to drive a car quickly around a track, how to use the appropriate braking points, 'apex' a corner and control a front/rear/four-wheel skid? Yep, they're the basics needed for a nervous driver to be safe on the road, absolutely.

    On

    another

    planet...

    Posted 4 months ago #
31. chewkw - Member

    It will take time for her to learn gear shifting if she does not know it now.

    An option to get rid of one headache is to get a car with automatic gear for her then re-learn the rest.

    Posted 4 months ago #
32. alfabus - Member

    When I said 'funny gear selection', I meant being in an inappropriate gear, rather than not knowing how to change gear.

    For example, she will pull away from stopped and immediately change into 2nd, now doing about 2 miles an hour, dropping the revs to almost nothing and rumbling along. As soon as the revs start to recover (to about 1500rpm), she'll dump it into 3rd and lose all the power again - this in a diesel; so it copes, but doesn't love it. It led to her stalling it pulling across a road (turning right) this morning.

    When I questioned it, she said that was what her driving instructor had told her to do. She's been driving for 9 years, and I don't remember her doing that before, it seems to be a new habit.

    Dave

    Posted 4 months ago #
33. nbt - Member

    I'd reiterate the suggestion to look for your local IAM group then - they address issues such as when to change gear as well as road position, and a course lasting several weeks will probably be cheaper than a half day on a track.

    Posted 4 months ago #
34. hora - Member

    (Shrugs shoulders), I found that overstepping the mark and the experience of learning from it opens up and gives you such a good understanding of a car/your interaction with it.

    Why does she have to undertake a IAM? Simple few refresher lessons with a professional Driving Instructor followed by a track course would be fine.

    She could also just be very stressed at the moment...

    Posted 4 months ago #
35. chewkw - Member

    alfabus - Member

    When I said 'funny gear selection', I meant being in an inappropriate gear, rather than not knowing how to change gear.

    Once that becomes a habit it will be very difficult to change (my friend's mum was the opposite, she never changed gear when needed). As suggested she might be better off with an automatic gear for long term safety and to get her to concentrate on the road rather than gear shifting.

    Posted 4 months ago #

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