What exactly is advanced driving.

[Flatinfourth]

I took my IAM test in the early eighties. My perception of the badge was the same then as it is now, that felt I would be perceieved as one of those slightly o.c.d. individuals we all come across that chooses to drive at an indicated 40 when the traffic flow ahead is gradually easing away doing 42 (probably true 40), we all know who those people are.

Declaring onself as an advanced driver isn't going to win respect or friends.
However,teaching people awareness, observation, anticipation, courtesy and survival skills is fun, and vital. But the IAM must struggle to engage with the average young male driver who already thinks he knows it all already.

Edited by Flatinfourth on Sunday 15th December 08:40

[Snowboy]

From a relatively brief google I've found many advanced driving forums debating brake/gear separation way more than a lot of other things.

To (mis)quote one person who I think was an instructor.
You need to learn thier wag of doing it for the test, pass the rest, then go back to what you're happy with.

Personally, I think that's a shame.
I don't quite 'get' why these institutions don't allow for multiple safe driving styles, so long as the driver is safe, aware and alert.

[MC Bodge]

Snowboy said:

From a relatively brief google I've found many advanced driving forums debating brake/gear separation way more than a lot of other things.

To (mis)quote one person who I think was an instructor.
You need to learn thier wag of doing it for the test, pass the rest, then go back towhat you're happy with.

Having done the IAM bike thing (and never felt the urge to display a badge), I dipped my toe into the ROSPA car world, was satisfied that there wasn't anything fundamentally wrong with my driving (I changed my style to suit their requirements regarding 'the usual suspects') and decided not to continue with it.

Snowboy said:

Personally, I think that's a shame.
I don't quite 'get' why these institutions don't allow for multiple safe driving styles, so long as the driver is safe, aware and alert.

Me neither.

The brake-gear separation thing has been done to death and continued to be flogged afterwards on here.

Unfortunately it seems to be used as an, arguably somewhat misguided, badge of honour amongst some of the 'Advanced' community.

Edited by MC Bodge on Tuesday 17th December 08:36

[R0G]

MC Bodge said:

The brake-gear separation thing has been done to death and continued to be flogged afterwards on here.

Unfortunately it seems to be used as an, arguably somewhat misguided, badge of honour amongst some of the 'Advanced' community.

Managing not to BGOL usually means the forward planning is very good

[MC Bodge]

R0G said:

Managing not to BGOL usually means the forward planning is very good

Right, STOP!

Let's end all references to this in this thread.

As you were...

[vonhosen]

R0G said:

MC Bodge said:

The brake-gear separation thing has been done to death and continued to be flogged afterwards on here.

Unfortunately it seems to be used as an, arguably somewhat misguided, badge of honour amongst some of the 'Advanced' community.

Managing not to BGOL usually means the forward planning is very good

And BGOLing isn't evidence that planning wasn't excellent. It's just a different choice.

[talksthetorque]

7mike said:

talksthetorque said:

It's a term for people who like to come up with abbreviations for normal stuff to make themselves feel clever. BGOL?
Being Ghey On Line?

Because no one else anywhere on an internet forum has ever used an abbreviation have they

Apart from perhaps the 1,027,230 listed here http://www.allacronyms.com/tag/forum/a/rank

Bahamas Government On Line then.
The.

[7db]

Remarkably appropriate choice, given that online and overlap are both one word.

[Toltec]

MC Bodge said:

Right, STOP!

Let's end all references to this in this thread.

As you were...

Pull push?


Sorry.


They do appear to be used as excuses not to discuss 'whatever we call it' driving. The word enhanced was used above, that would possibly make it sound better, achievable and not elitist. How does having an Enhanced Driving license strike you?

[WaferThinHam]

BMF blue riband was a load of tosh anyway. I'd been riding a few months and passed it easily. Then it made no difference to my insurance whatsoever.

[Glosphil]

Despite constant reminders from the Chief Observer I will never put a IAM badge on my car. However, as an IAM observer, I will assist other drivers to re-evaluate their approach to driving with the purpose of assisting them in passing the IAM test - by purchasing Skill For Life they have already paid the test fee. Hopefully they will also learn something that they will retain after passing the test and that will enhance their safety.

I agree that Advanced Driving is not an accurate description. However, I cannot think of a better term. The Group's Chief Observer rather liked to use 'Secure Driving'.

[p1esk]

vonhosen said:

R0G said:

MC Bodge said:

The brake-gear separation thing has been done to death and continued to be flogged afterwards on here.

Unfortunately it seems to be used as an, arguably somewhat misguided, badge of honour amongst some of the 'Advanced' community.

Managing not to BGOL usually means the forward planning is very good

And BGOLing isn't evidence that planning wasn't excellent. It's just a different choice.

I was just about to say that, and then I read a bit further and see you've already done it. Good!

[Mr Trophy]

I was fortunate enough to be taken out in a unmarked car driven by an AD Police Officer.

His first words when I got into the car, "If you see anything above 60/70 mph, it is a figment of your imagination". Needless to say, my imagination was going wild during the car ride and I found it very interesting. Especially when we where alot higher than the national speed limit and he was looking miles infront - literally.

[MC Bodge]

Mr Trophy said:

I was fortunate enough to be taken out in a unmarked car driven by an AD Police Officer.

His first words when I got into the car, "If you see anything above 60/70 mph, it is a figment of your imagination".

"Do as I say, not as I do"? Who'd have thought it?!

Mr Trophy said:

Needless to say, my imagination was going wild during the car ride and I found it very interesting. Especially when we where alot higher than the national speed limit and he was looking miles infront - literally.

Yes, it's interesting to watch good drivers in action. I don't know about anybody else, but I'd have been more surprised if he wasn't looking as far ahead as possible. I certainly do.

The concept of looking ahead and taking actions resulting from the use of good observation is probably the thing that Joe Public would benefit from most.

All of the talk about minor (yes, minor) things like not overlapping your control inputs, how you hold the wheel etc. are a distraction that detract from the point really.

[Mr Trophy]

MC Bodge said:

Stuff

Agreed!

The part when he was looking to the left (we where on a hilly road and about 11 o'clock over in the distance a road would meet with ours) he could see nothing would pull out on us, so he pressed down on the accelerator, firmly!

[MC Bodge]

Mr Trophy said:

The part when he was looking to the left (we where on a hilly road and about 11 o'clock over in the distance a road would meet with ours) he could see nothing would pull out on us

Yes, I would do the same.

As a biker, you need to be aware that any vehicle might pull out on you, with serious results. Fore-warned is fore-armed and all that.

[Benbay001]

The biggest part of advance driving in my opinion is observation.
Everything else slots in neatly around it and stems from it.

[Flatinfourth]

Benbay001 said:

The biggest part of advance driving in my opinion is observation.
Everything else slots in neatly around it and stems from it.

Sometimes observation requires a courteous response though. I brought the bike in this morning, a 24 year old Paris-Dakar thumper in italian flag colours, not exactly invisible, and a six foot high presence in the road with me on it. I approached a mini roundabout in the right turn lane, unaware that my front offside indicator bulb was out - no faster flashing,as electronic flasher fitted. Driver opposing me going straight on is looking at me as I come on to the roundabout to cross his path, he then drives across me doing that 'looking straight ahead' thing, probably annoyed because i'm not signalling. Caused me no problem because that's what anticipation is for, and this morning's greasy conditions kept things slow.

[martine]

Dr Jekyll said:

The trouble is that the test seems increasingly to be for the benefit of the club/s not vice versa. People seem to take the test to join the club rather than for it's own sake.

Might be true for IAM bike groups but less so for car groups in my experience. We have difficulty in keeping hold of our recently passed members...they do the test, get the certificate and that's the last we see of them.

[Glosphil]

martine said:

Dr Jekyll said:

The trouble is that the test seems increasingly to be for the benefit of the club/s not vice versa. People seem to take the test to join the club rather than for it's own sake.

Might be true for IAM bike groups but less so for car groups in my experience. We have difficulty in keeping hold of our recently passed members...they do the test, get the certificate and that's the last we see of them.

In our group we are lucky to retain as members 1/3 to 1/2 (varies year to year) of those who pass the test. Personally I would rather have more test passes and less joining the group - that way we have given more drivers the chance to improve their driving. I am more interested in being an observer and assisting drivers to improve their driving skills (not just car control) than being a member of a club.