will adv driving course make me a better or worse driver

[lestershaw]

i am really enjoying ownership of my Chim 500, and after a few minor niggles its very well sorted and drives fantastically and i am really happy with it, its really very quick. But as i get more and more used to how fast it is i find myself going a little bit quicker, leaving the overtaking a bit later, leaving less room to overtake and overtaking cars travelling a little faster than before. so i am thinking i had better take a driving course to make me a better driver. I am worried hoewever if it will make me a better driver or a worse one, will i now after the driving course think i am invincible and a driving god or will i keep it in the bank for when its needed. i realise all drivers are different so is it just me or does anyone else think this way? should i be looking for ways to get more horses and make it quicker, or should i be looking at ways to make it stop quicker and handle better, or am i not the right person to have a quick Tvr
Lester
opinions welcomed , but i expect to be frowned upon.

[gemini]

Please dont think that a driving course will make you a driving god. It wont!
It will however make your overtakes so much easier and safer.
Observation and road positioning are the two greatest skill increases that it will give.
Yesterday I completed 2 3 car overtakes on my way to work. Each queue was hesitant and badly positioned.
My overtakes were in a 1.4 skoda!

Crack on and get some training.

It makes overetaking so much more fun!

[lestershaw]

I KNOW it won't make me a driving god but I am concerned that I will overestimate my ability to use my newly taught skills effectively. A bit like somebody learning karate and then thinking they can win a fight. Which skoda? My other half has 1.7vrs set diesel and thats pretty quick

[Simple]

Do it. I have a chim 500, and did a driving course for the same reasons. As Gemini says it will be the opposite to what you are worried about, it is all about positioning and smoothness. You will do the overtakes anyway, this way you will do it safer, more economically (I refer to effort here not fuel) and be less likely to provoke the car to do something unexpected. I thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Where are you based.

[Simple]

Answered my one question, you are down south so can't help. It it just I know a very good guy who I did a day with up north.

Why not give ride drive a call and discuss your thoughts/concerns. I also did an hour on a skid pan as part of the day which was great learning to control a car with no abs when skidding.

[lestershaw]

I am based in stansted and have been recommended to go to kenny of atc at north Weald . Where did you go and which course did you take
Les

Edited by lestershaw on Friday 15th July 07:58

[Tyre Tread]

Ride Drive have an excellent reputation and use police class 1 drivers/instructors.

I bought a friend a mine a full day with Ride Drive including 3 hours on a track to explore the limits and he really enjoyed it. I was worried he'd think it was all a waste of time but he said he learned a lot.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Anyone who thinks they're an invincible driving god certainly isn't an advanced driver. If anything, it makes you more aware of your human limitations. There is no question that it makes you a safer driver.

If you do take a full-on advanced driving course, you will have to be prepared to completely deconstruct your driving technique and put it back together again. It's not easy and will require work and practice over many months. It's 90% about what's going on inside your head, rather than what you're doing with the car.

Also, once you've retrained yourself, advanced driving is not something you can switch on and off when you think you need it. It is a totally different way of thinking, and your driving will never be the same again.

I thoroughly recommend it!

[Simple]

lestershaw said:

I am based in stansted and have been recommended to go to kenny of atc at north Weald . Where did you go and which course did you take
Les

Edited by lestershaw on Friday 15th July 07:58

I did mine in Yorkshire, mainly across the A59 area between track v road in clitheroe where we met and tockwith nr York where the skid pan is. Did it with Richard (Thorpe, I think) really nice guy and a great day. Hard work mind, you really do have to concentrate.

It was a half day course, with an hour on the skid pan. We were out for about 5 hours. I have done some advanced stuff in the past so this was more of a refresher and health check of my driving than breaking it down to work on fundamentals. Still reminded me of a lot I had forgotten and bad habits I had picked up. The best quote of the day - typical tvr driver, always wanting to change down and cane it, you can do that overtake in the gear you are in which would be much smother - yeh but not as much fun!

Edited by Simple on Friday 15th July 11:18

[nrick]

Can only be a good thing, everyday we need to learn something new.....

[frenchie TVR]

Hi,

I have a 500 Chimaera, had her for a year now, and previously had a 450 for a year. I live in London, meaning that the Chimaera only gets used a few times a month (when going out of town...) and therefore only do limited mileage a year...

I am not scared of speed: have had several motorbikes, but have to admit that because of the limited miles covered in the TVR I lacked in confidence...

I did my first track day in June as part of TVR At Goodwood and prior to this, in April did a day advanced driving with Ride and Drive... Spent 7 hours on country road and an hour on the airfield and learned so much on both the road and airfield and arrived to TAG with confidence, knowledge on the way my car feels and handles at speed, knowledge about the car's ability and mine (and can confirm that I was not the slowest driver at Goodwood, the instructor I took around Goodwood even though that I did really well (this due to the motorbike experience I have. but also for sure to the Ride and Drive course I took....).

So I would recommend it: you will learn a lot, plus with your certificate, some insurance companies will give you a discount.

Have fun, Frenchie.

[saml666]

Thumbs up for training.

I've only done my bike advanced so far (actually, still not got around to booking the test but done the training) and it transforms how you use the road. One aspect I like is how it has taught me to make progress (i.e. get past lots of people) less agressively, making less of an impact .. being less noticeable. I like that

Yeah well worth it, I will do my car training before too long to complete the set.

Cheers,
Sam

[lestershaw]

I think the consensus is to have the training, thanks for the replies. Will have one day first and see how I take to it. Will post how I got on , thanks

[lestershaw]

frenchie TVR said:

Hi,

I have a 500 Chimaera, had her for a year now, and previously had a 450 for a year. I live in London, meaning that the Chimaera only gets used a few times a month (when going out of town...) and therefore only do limited mileage a year...

I am not scared of speed: have had several motorbikes, but have to admit that because of the limited miles covered in the TVR I lacked in confidence...

I did my first track day in June as part of TVR At Goodwood and prior to this, in April did a day advanced driving with Ride and Drive... Spent 7 hours on country road and an hour on the airfield and learned so much on both the road and airfield and arrived to TAG with confidence, knowledge on the way my car feels and handles at speed, knowledge about the car's ability and mine (and can confirm that I was not the slowest driver at Goodwood, the instructor I took around Goodwood even though that I did really well (this due to the motorbike experience I have. but also for sure to the Ride and Drive course I took....).
So I would recommend it: you will learn a lot, plus with your certificate, some insurance companies will give you a discount.

Have fun, Frenchie.

Thanks for the reply, one question though eric, how comes you think living in London means you only drive it occasionally? Do you live near east london? All those lovely tunnels near isle of dogs. West London? Cruising down kings road and Chelsea bridge. Driving around in city of London late at night, loads of opportunities to get out :-)

Edited by lestershaw on Friday 15th July 21:59

[Ironballs]

Don't forget that getting the IAM qualification can reduce your insurance bills too

[lestershaw]

Ride drive say their insurance deal is with Adrian flux only. I am with mannings and still have year to run. I was thinking that driver training in ones tiv is the sort of driving we buy them for anyway, so it's rewarding in two ways