Thinking - as one does - I had four friends when I was a teenager who had done the IAM test. The end result was that they all drove like maniacs. If they could skid round a corner, they would; if they could go round it on two wheels, they would. Driving was an opportunity to show off.
Is it still like that? Or was I unlucky with my friends? Half of them had prangs which were "somebody else's fault" which actually meant that if they'd been driving sensibly the accident wouldn't have happened.
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I don't know anyone else who did their IAM test as a teenager. Infact at various meets with my car most people my age take the mick out of my IAM sticker.
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Did they want to do the IAM test or were they told to? Teenagers who are told to do things tend to rebel!
Most of the IAM training is about attitude, consideration, observation and anticipation not driving.
Local police were on the radio last week. Interviewer asked how you taught someone to drive fast - immediate response was you aren't taught to drive fast you are taught to observe and anticipate - eventually this leads to the ability to drive more faster.
Drive fast without observation and anticipation and you will have an accident (as your friends found out!).
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"I don't know anyone else who did their IAM test as a teenager."
You do now. I was 17 years 8 months when I passed.
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Really? I waited until I was 19 because they advised me it was best to get some experience first.
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It's a long time since I was 17 years old!!!
I wasn't new to IAM when I took the test. My dad was an active member of the local group for many years before I could drive and he taught me to drive the IAM way from as soon as I started driving.
The only thing I hadn't covered was motorways, but 10 minutes after passing my L test it was a 20 mile trip down the M1 to begin learning all about motorways!
Edited by daveyjp on 19/08/2008 at 14:45
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The current issue of the IAM Mag is pushing teenage members. It has some observer that's still a teen.
I have a friend that did it as a kid. I have never known him drive fast or dangerously. As far as I know he's never had a prang.
I don't display any badges or insignia. When I went for my last RoSPA retest, the examiner asked if I was a member of a local group.
I am not sure I like the way that the IAM has expanded, 'Here's a photo of 2 new hotshots we've hired from big business to help the IAM meet it's objectives'. Next issue, 'We're massively over budget and the subscription is going up from £18 to £30.'
It seems the IAM lacked a bit of anticipation there.
I am not sure how their expansion plans, and their 'any excuse to get the brand out there' marketing sits with what I think about driving, road safety and the whole nine yards. 'This police force is carrying our stickers' - yeah, and the number of accidents involving 'emergency vehicles' is going up!
When I have two decades of membership behind me, I kind of resent having to dig deeper into my pockets to help them out of a hole of their own making.
If the rewards for passing the test were greater, there would be an incentive for people to take the test.
As insurance premiums don't drop that massively perhaps insurers know how much less likely, or not, IAM members are likely to be? They have hard data on it?
That there is little reward, or benefit passing the IAM test can't be compensated for by throwing money at marketing it. If there was a real, distinct, tangible benefit people would be queueing up to do it. I think the attainment aspect of it appeals to egotists.
I was older when I took the IAM test and it was a decade after that I took the RoSPA test.
I enjoy the observation part, and it's commented on in my RoSPA report.
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And here's another who became a member at 17 or thereabouts. Have kept it ever since (57 now) but for the first time am wondering about renewal. There must be quite a few thinking similarly.
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I was taught to drive by my father a police class 1 in the days when there were only two or three in the county. Roadcraft was basic reading and the method was instilled. Someone else taught me to pass the test. Thirty years later I did the IAM test and now observe. It's not just teenagers who are bonkers. Just like the driving test the ability to drive in a certain manner for a relatively short time does not guarantee the attitude or ability to drive 'real world'.
Strangely enough an associate I had (older than me) stopped responding after realising that she had caught up with me in a 30 zone at 50+. I was doing 30. I'll mentain my membership and continue to observe. It's well worth it if it saves even one from a bad crash or worse.
As for the insurance issue I'm a strong believer in 'cheapest is not always best'. There is a need to compare the levels of cover as well as the cost. For example I can and do have 'any driver' cover for £30 extra compared with 'self only'. For piece of mind (I know they're insured) in a situation it's well worth it. Some companies charge £25+ for alterations to the policy, any and all. My present company replaced a cert gratis as well as covered a borrowed (not from garage) car gratis while mine was under mechanical repair. Bottom line is not everything
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Slightly OT, but I saw my dad today and noticed his car had damage to the right of the rear bumper - like he had reversed into a bollard.
What happend was he was indicating to turn left into his street, had slowed to take the manouver, looked in his mirror and noticed a car approaching at speed (40 limit, he was doing less than 20 and the approaching car was doing well over 40), driver not looking where he was going. Dad braced himself for the impact, driver then looked up, hit the brakes and swerved and caught the bumper.
Driver was a 19 year old who passed his test 7 months ago - irony was my dad taught him for a short while when he turned 17 and warned him he was inattentive and drove too quickly for the conditions - after he told him this he never heard from the guy again.
Police are checking mobile phone records as dad suspects he may have been texting.
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Cheapest isn't always best? I drive a perfectly serviceable 15 year old car. It cost me very little, so I have no desire to pay over the odds for insurance. Having worked in sales I realise that 'differentiating' your offering from another is one way of justifying the price. I don't have a nice car, having had an even older, hobby car damaged outside the house. When the culprits are probably the associates of the neighbours kids, if not the kids themselves there seems little point in chancing it.
I don't see any advantage in maintaining the IAM membership. I pay for the RoSPA membership and get free 3 yearly retests. Seems to me that RoSPA got it right.
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As an IAM member I was really disappointed to hear of these fee increases. The paucity of the current IAM 'offer' means I perceive no benefit in membership. I will not recommend membership to my teenager. and will not now renew with IAM but instead go The RoSPA route.
R40
Edited by R40 on 20/08/2008 at 07:31
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it is drifting off topic, but the IAM recently (last 12 months or so?) asked all members to sign up that their membership fee was a charitable donation, thus enabling them to scoop additional revenue from the taxpayer's pocket. IIRC it enabled them to backdate this over 5 years or suchlike. So they must have made a significant income from this. I hadn't read about the increse in fees but where's it all going???
Edited by smokie on 20/08/2008 at 13:17
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The IAM are to increase the annual membership subscription from the current £17.50 to £28 re Direct Debit....having regard to the current 'credit crunch' situation that aspect may have an impact on new membership and renewal by existing members.
Edited by Geordie1 on 20/08/2008 at 13:41
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It's not the credit crunch. Their plans to sell 'driving assessments' to businesses and such like have failed. They say that they've failed to meet their sales expectations, and their planned revenues haven't materialised. I think the previous issue of the magazine had a photo of 2 new hot shots from big business that were going to drive them forward. As someone that's worked in sales the commercialisation and expansion plans grate on me. Why?
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As an IAM member of some years standing I do think they have done much good work in the past and are a valuable organisation. They seem to have taken a 'wrong turn' recently in trying to become more 'commercial' and 'business focussed'. Hiring new 'executives' with 'commercial experience' presumably cost a packet, plus they've spent a load more on marketing recently. Probably better to return to their traditional roots and get rid of the costly overheads.
This sort of thing seems to be theme with some of our best loved British organisations - e.g. AA, RAC etc becoming more 'commercial' always seems to lead to a steep rise in costs and few advantages for the customer.
I used to do a fair bit of part-time work for the Open University, a really invaluable organisation. A few years ago they tried to become more commercial and hired various 'suits' to 'take them forward'. The outcome was a poor attempt to expand into the US and a rumoured loss of £60m. To recoup this loss they changed the contracts of us part-time tutors (which led to less pay for more work). I resigned, as did many other experienced staff, leaving a weaker organisation behind.
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