My IAM experience
Discussion
I've recently joined the IAM and have started my observed drives. Maybe my experiences will be of some interest, particularly given the recent "IAM - how to attract younger drivers?" thread. I’m seventeen and passed my driving test in October. I read about the IAM and started reading Roadcraft before I started driving.
My first observed drive went quite well, although I made plenty of minor errors. My observer’s main criticism was for my steering. I was surprised by this because I thought my steering was the best part of my driving. I was expecting more criticism for things like my clutch control or observation but she seemed pretty satisfied with those. She also said that I won’t require many drives to get to the required standard which was nice to hear.
I was shown the ‘thumb-down, thumb-up’ way to operate the gear-stick. At first I really struggled to do the thumb-down part, and I selected the wrong gear quite a few times, but slowly I’m getting the hang of it. I can’t however, see why it is better at preventing mis-selected gears than my previous method of operating the gear-stick.
For our second meeting my observer drove her car on the same route that we took that last time. I was surprised to find that she isn’t super-smooth with her gear-changes or stops but this did at least allay my worries about my own ability in these areas. I was also pleased to see that she slipped over the speed limit in the same places that I sometimes do.
On my second observed drive my observer got me to do five minutes of commentary whilst we were on a dual-carriageway. The traffic was pretty quiet so there wasn’t an awful lot to say. Even so, I found it takes lot more effort to describe everything I see than it takes to simply ‘process’ it in my mind. I’m glad I don’t have to do it in the test. I asked how my gear-stick grip looked and apparently it’s fine, but it still doesn’t feel very good. Again, my observer said that my steering needs improvement.
Overall, I think the standard required of candidates isn’t as high as I had the impression it was, although I don’t doubt that some IAM members are of a very high standard. I was expecting more criticism for my driving and that I’d have to make more improvements than it seems I actually do. I’m slightly worried that my observer is missing some of my errors.
However, two things about the IAM way of driving seem nonsensical:
- Cancelling your indicator when you are in a stationary queue of traffic “because the sound is irritating”
- Keeping both hands on the wheel when stationary in neutral “because it looks good”
My first observed drive went quite well, although I made plenty of minor errors. My observer’s main criticism was for my steering. I was surprised by this because I thought my steering was the best part of my driving. I was expecting more criticism for things like my clutch control or observation but she seemed pretty satisfied with those. She also said that I won’t require many drives to get to the required standard which was nice to hear.
I was shown the ‘thumb-down, thumb-up’ way to operate the gear-stick. At first I really struggled to do the thumb-down part, and I selected the wrong gear quite a few times, but slowly I’m getting the hang of it. I can’t however, see why it is better at preventing mis-selected gears than my previous method of operating the gear-stick.
For our second meeting my observer drove her car on the same route that we took that last time. I was surprised to find that she isn’t super-smooth with her gear-changes or stops but this did at least allay my worries about my own ability in these areas. I was also pleased to see that she slipped over the speed limit in the same places that I sometimes do.
On my second observed drive my observer got me to do five minutes of commentary whilst we were on a dual-carriageway. The traffic was pretty quiet so there wasn’t an awful lot to say. Even so, I found it takes lot more effort to describe everything I see than it takes to simply ‘process’ it in my mind. I’m glad I don’t have to do it in the test. I asked how my gear-stick grip looked and apparently it’s fine, but it still doesn’t feel very good. Again, my observer said that my steering needs improvement.
Overall, I think the standard required of candidates isn’t as high as I had the impression it was, although I don’t doubt that some IAM members are of a very high standard. I was expecting more criticism for my driving and that I’d have to make more improvements than it seems I actually do. I’m slightly worried that my observer is missing some of my errors.
However, two things about the IAM way of driving seem nonsensical:
- Cancelling your indicator when you are in a stationary queue of traffic “because the sound is irritating”
- Keeping both hands on the wheel when stationary in neutral “because it looks good”
agent006 said:
The points are valid, but the reasons are crap.
1) Cancel indicator in traffic when stationary as there's nobody to signal to (as a frequent pedestian i don't agree with this though).
How about the people who you were signalling to before you became stationary? I think the fact that you are no longer moving doesn't mean they can't benefit from the signal.
agent006 said:
2) Keep hands on the wheel so you have more chance of controlling the car if hit by another vehicle.
Maybe, but I think there is only a minute likelihood that you will be crashed into and that you will benefit from having both hands on the wheel for that split second that you would otherwise have your left hand on the gear-stick or handbrake (the two places I usually rest my left hand). You might conversely argue that by having your hand on the gear-stick or handbrake you've got more chance of avoiding being hit in the first place. Also, you could say that you should have your foot hovering over the brake pedal when stationary so that you can apply the brakes fractionally earlier if your are hit.
Anyway, these points are fairly minor and happily they are the only things I've found myself disagreeing with, but they irritate me all the same.
EDIT: added a bit to clarify.
Edited by SamHH on Saturday 30th December 18:27
GreenV8S said:
I routinely see people holding the gear lever and positively putting it into gear - which imo is a very poor technique liable to lead to missed gear changes especally on typical boxes with more than four gears.
What do you mean by "positively putting it into gear"?
GreenV8S said:
I've never heard it referred to as the 'thumb up, thumb down' technique but that sounds like the sort of technique I would recommend.
The technique I've been taught is to wrap my fingers round the front of the gear-stick with my palm facing away from me and my thumb pointing down for gears that require you to push the stick to the left of its natural resting point (1st and 2nd in my car), or my palm facing towards me and my thumb pointing up for gears that require you to push the stick to the right (5th in my car) or for gears that don't require you to push the stick left or right (3rd and 4th in my car). That is all assuming the gear-stick is to the left of the driver. Is that what you're thinking about?
EDIT: There is a photo of the 'thumb-down' grip on the cover of my edition of Roadcraft.
Edited by SamHH on Saturday 30th December 18:43
Edited by SamHH on Saturday 30th December 18:50
Don said:
Gearstick grip: Thumb-up, thumb-down. I have seen this demonstrated in the Roadcraft video and I do it myself - sort of. Its the kind of thing that won't pass or fail you by itself.
Hmmm...it was presented to me as something I must do in the exam. I guessed it is routinely taught to all IAM candidates, but maybe it's just something that our examiner (there is only one in our area) requires.
Don said:
Good luck, Sam. Keep it up. Report back - and make sure you let us know when you pass - I'm sure you will!
Thanks.
victormeldrew said:
I'm curious about this "thumb-up thumb-down" technique. How does it work exactly?
I checked my technique this morning, having had my curiousity piqued by this thread. I can't help thinking either the technique is misnamed, or its rooted in some good sense that is outmoded.
I checked my technique this morning, having had my curiousity piqued by this thread. I can't help thinking either the technique is misnamed, or its rooted in some good sense that is outmoded.
Another thread about this technique has been started:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=342626&f=154&h=0
victormeldrew said:
On the Toyota I was driving this morning I found myself naturally using a thumb down grip (actually more of a pinky up, but same difference) for 1st/2nd, a grip much as Peter describes above for 3rd/4th (plam of hand to push into third, fingertips to pull back into 4th, relaxed grip on lever in both cases), and a thumb up "rifle bolt" grip for fifth. Because 3rd/4th are on the detent any sideways pressure on the lever is to be avoided, so both thumb up and thumb down are inappropriate.
I wouldn't describe thumb-up as inappropriate for changes to gears in the neutral plane (3rd and 4th in most cars). With thumb-down your arm does have a natural tendency to push to the left; I've found that with a thumb down grip it very difficult to select a gear other than one to the left of neutral (1st and 2nd in my car). With thumb up however, I've found that it's quite possible to select gears on the neutral plane and gears to the left and right of the neutral plane. Your arm doesn't have a natural tendency to push to the right.
victormeldrew said:
The appropriate grip for most gears will depend on the gate layout and so changes from car to car - 2nd in the Toyota I was driving today (12345R) would be thumb down, but in my wifes Audi A2 it would be neutral as its R12345.
Are you saying that in the A2 1st is on a dog leg and second is on the neutral plane?
Long post but the short version is that I had three more observed drives and passed my test this morning.
On all three drives we were out for slightly longer than the first two: an hour and twenty instead of an hour. They all went quite well so I won't bore you with the details but the only criticism was for my steering, specifically for making too many movements of my hands on the wheel. My observer said that it should only be necessary to do one pull and one push in all but the tightest bends. I feel that this just doesn't give enough steering to get round lots of corners. Maybe because my car doesn't have power steering it has a higher ratio steering rack than she's used to. Whilst I know my steering isn't great I feel that things like my control of the brake and clutch pedals warrant more criticism.
She lent me a DVD of someone from the Aberdeen IAM group doing a drive. That was pretty dull. She also lent me a Roadcraft video; the one with Met police officers doing their "response driver" course. It didn't show me anything I didn't know already but it was interesting to watch nevertheless.
After my fourth drive my observer recommended I apply for the test. When I met the examiner this morning he told me that I could do five or ten minutes of commentary if I wished. He said that he didn't mind whether I did it and that there is no benefit to doing it but the very fact that he mentioned it suggested it's something that might help. Even so, I decided not to becuase I hadn't practised commentary much and when I had I found it difficult to mention everything I was seeing and keep my observation up.
The wind very strong and on the dual-carriageway I was slowed down to 60 for quite a while; my car just doesn't have to power to keep to 70 at times. Thankfully the examiner must have accounted for this in his decision. The two manoeuvres - reversing round a corner and turning in the road - went OK. Whilst I was driving my seatbelt came undone. I thought he'd fail me for this but in the end it wasn't even mentioned. The only other mistakes I noticed were minor: slightly dodgy gear-shift, going a bit wide round a (one way) hairpin.
In the debrief I was told I'd done a decent drive but there were some criticisms. Firstly, on two occasions I went three abreast with parked cars on my left and an oncoming lorry on my right. He said I shouldn't have done this because there was no "safety margin". Fair enough, I made a poor judgement in the compromise between safety and "making progress". Secondly, he said my positioning could have been more exaggerated, especially on left hand bends. Thirdly, I could have had better observation of manhole covers and potholes and therefore been able to avoid them with ease. I was noticing manhole covers and potholes, but I wasn't avoiding them because I didn't want the examiner to think I was moving across the road too much. He didn't mention my steering but when asked he said that it isn't the best he'd seen but he didn't seem to feel it is a major problem.
Naturally, I'm very pleased to have passed but there's a bit of a feeling of anti-climax. Whilst I've learned how to apply the methods of Roadcraft to my driving (although I've still got a long way to go with this), I don't feel that my driving is noticeably better than before I did the course. There are lots of things I want to improve. The examiner suggested I should just keep practising. I asked my observer about the special assessment. She said that it is designed for people who have been driving for a long time and who just want a general idea of what their ability is.
I'd love to do some training with a professional instructor like those used by the High Performance Club, but they seem rather expensive and anyway I live hundreds of miles away from the all ones I've seen.
It'd also be nice to have a demonstration from a really good advanced driver. My observer gave me a demo and no disrespect to her because she was good, way better than me, but she didn't "wow" me.
On all three drives we were out for slightly longer than the first two: an hour and twenty instead of an hour. They all went quite well so I won't bore you with the details but the only criticism was for my steering, specifically for making too many movements of my hands on the wheel. My observer said that it should only be necessary to do one pull and one push in all but the tightest bends. I feel that this just doesn't give enough steering to get round lots of corners. Maybe because my car doesn't have power steering it has a higher ratio steering rack than she's used to. Whilst I know my steering isn't great I feel that things like my control of the brake and clutch pedals warrant more criticism.
She lent me a DVD of someone from the Aberdeen IAM group doing a drive. That was pretty dull. She also lent me a Roadcraft video; the one with Met police officers doing their "response driver" course. It didn't show me anything I didn't know already but it was interesting to watch nevertheless.
After my fourth drive my observer recommended I apply for the test. When I met the examiner this morning he told me that I could do five or ten minutes of commentary if I wished. He said that he didn't mind whether I did it and that there is no benefit to doing it but the very fact that he mentioned it suggested it's something that might help. Even so, I decided not to becuase I hadn't practised commentary much and when I had I found it difficult to mention everything I was seeing and keep my observation up.
The wind very strong and on the dual-carriageway I was slowed down to 60 for quite a while; my car just doesn't have to power to keep to 70 at times. Thankfully the examiner must have accounted for this in his decision. The two manoeuvres - reversing round a corner and turning in the road - went OK. Whilst I was driving my seatbelt came undone. I thought he'd fail me for this but in the end it wasn't even mentioned. The only other mistakes I noticed were minor: slightly dodgy gear-shift, going a bit wide round a (one way) hairpin.
In the debrief I was told I'd done a decent drive but there were some criticisms. Firstly, on two occasions I went three abreast with parked cars on my left and an oncoming lorry on my right. He said I shouldn't have done this because there was no "safety margin". Fair enough, I made a poor judgement in the compromise between safety and "making progress". Secondly, he said my positioning could have been more exaggerated, especially on left hand bends. Thirdly, I could have had better observation of manhole covers and potholes and therefore been able to avoid them with ease. I was noticing manhole covers and potholes, but I wasn't avoiding them because I didn't want the examiner to think I was moving across the road too much. He didn't mention my steering but when asked he said that it isn't the best he'd seen but he didn't seem to feel it is a major problem.
Naturally, I'm very pleased to have passed but there's a bit of a feeling of anti-climax. Whilst I've learned how to apply the methods of Roadcraft to my driving (although I've still got a long way to go with this), I don't feel that my driving is noticeably better than before I did the course. There are lots of things I want to improve. The examiner suggested I should just keep practising. I asked my observer about the special assessment. She said that it is designed for people who have been driving for a long time and who just want a general idea of what their ability is.
I'd love to do some training with a professional instructor like those used by the High Performance Club, but they seem rather expensive and anyway I live hundreds of miles away from the all ones I've seen.
It'd also be nice to have a demonstration from a really good advanced driver. My observer gave me a demo and no disrespect to her because she was good, way better than me, but she didn't "wow" me.
stefan1 said:
SamHH
Congratulations on passing the test.
I have tried to PM you, but that function seems disabled. If you want to PM me, I was going to suggest you might like to have a drive with an HPC member - we're dotted all around the country, and most are passionate about advanced driving. I am confident I could get something set up and it would give you a chance to discuss your next steps with someone who, like you, wants more!
Kind regards
Steve
Congratulations on passing the test.
I have tried to PM you, but that function seems disabled. If you want to PM me, I was going to suggest you might like to have a drive with an HPC member - we're dotted all around the country, and most are passionate about advanced driving. I am confident I could get something set up and it would give you a chance to discuss your next steps with someone who, like you, wants more!
Kind regards
Steve
Thanks for the congratulations. My private e-mail function was disabled but I've now enabled it and sent a message to you.
mph999 said:
Steering, can you for small bends, used fixed input - stick you mitts at quater to three and basicall leave them there - I only use this for bends requiring at most 1/8 turn (ish).
Yes, I keep my hands in a fixed position for inputs that require very little movement. I tended not to do this when being observed and in the IAM test because my observer frowned on it.
I feel that it's the large inputs rather than the small ones that a problem for me. I tend to struggle where a lot of lock has to be removed very quickly, typically in tight, low-speed corners. I'm not able to do it in a smooth controlled manner.
renny said:
Consider joining the local group to help them and get more input. You may also consider the ROSPA test as mentioned elsewhere.
I'm automatically a member of the local group by doing the test. I've been asked if I'd be interested in becoming an observer. I'm not going to do it for now, partly because I'm not sure I agree with everything the IAM teaches. More importantly though, I don't feel my driving is good enough to allow me to mentor other people. I've not had the necessary experience.
Re. ROSPA, I understand that it is identical to the IAM course except that there is a grading system. I know I'm not good enough to get a 'Gold' grade so it doesn't appeal, at least not for now.
Scott - I believe the two practices you are referring to are not signalling when no-one will benefit and brake gear separation.
I was taught that it is acceptable to signal when no-one will benefit when you begin signalling but someone might benefit at a later point. This could be for example where you are approaching a T-junction with no-one behind or in front of you but you suspect that there may be traffic on the main road that could benefit from a signal. If no-one does benefit, then no harm is done (assuming no-one was misled).
I agree that there are some circumstances where it is easier and better to signal in anticipation of someone benefiting rather that waiting until the moment when they definitely will benefit. The first example you give is probably such a scenario.
In fact, this issue was brought up by the examiner after my test.
In the second example you give, you certainly would signal because there is someone who obviously will benefit.
Regarding brake gear separation, it is still part of Roadcraft and is still taught by the IAM. However, overlapping is not frowned upon as much as I understand it used to be. I won't go into it in detail (we could and probably have had whole threads about it) but suffice to say that Roadcraft says there are some situations where it is acceptable or even preferable to overlap braking and gearchanging. The basic idea though is that you separate your braking and gearchanging unless there is a reason not to.
Even if you find yourself disagreeing with some of the things IAM teaches, you might still decide that it's worth doing and then switching back to your own methods after you pass. You may pick up some good things in the process.
I was taught that it is acceptable to signal when no-one will benefit when you begin signalling but someone might benefit at a later point. This could be for example where you are approaching a T-junction with no-one behind or in front of you but you suspect that there may be traffic on the main road that could benefit from a signal. If no-one does benefit, then no harm is done (assuming no-one was misled).
I agree that there are some circumstances where it is easier and better to signal in anticipation of someone benefiting rather that waiting until the moment when they definitely will benefit. The first example you give is probably such a scenario.
In fact, this issue was brought up by the examiner after my test.
In the second example you give, you certainly would signal because there is someone who obviously will benefit.
Regarding brake gear separation, it is still part of Roadcraft and is still taught by the IAM. However, overlapping is not frowned upon as much as I understand it used to be. I won't go into it in detail (we could and probably have had whole threads about it) but suffice to say that Roadcraft says there are some situations where it is acceptable or even preferable to overlap braking and gearchanging. The basic idea though is that you separate your braking and gearchanging unless there is a reason not to.
Even if you find yourself disagreeing with some of the things IAM teaches, you might still decide that it's worth doing and then switching back to your own methods after you pass. You may pick up some good things in the process.
Edited by SamHH on Monday 22 January 23:11
Scott - if you want to see a really detailed discussion on signalling, see this:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?p=18&f=154&t=258071&h=0&hw=signal
Be warned, you might lose the will to live.
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?p=18&f=154&t=258071&h=0&hw=signal
Be warned, you might lose the will to live.
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