The I.A.M. RoadSmart and Me
The IAM RoadSmart formerly called the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is a charity based in the United Kingdom and serving nine countries, whose objective is to improve car driving and motorcycle riding standards, and so enhance road safety, by using the British police's system of car and motorcycle control commonly known as "the System". The System was devised in 1937 by racing driver Mark Everard Pepys, 6th Earl of Cottenham, to reduce accidents in police pursuits.
People who have passed an IAM test have substantially fewer accidents and typically report getting more pleasure from driving too. Research has shown that IAM training increases a wide range of driving skills,including speed, safe distances, gear changing and cornering.
The IAM was formed in 1956 and has more than 90,000 members, all of whom have taken and passed an advanced test in a car, commercial vehicle or on a motorcycle. In 2006, the charity took over the work of the AA Motoring Trust, which had been established in 2002 by The Automobile Association. The charity brought its different activities and programmes together under one umbrella called IAM RoadSmart in 2016. read wikipedia article here
People are trained by volunteer mentors know as ‘Observers’. There are two levels of Observer a Local and a National the former being restricted to training within one of the 200 local groups and the latter able to train in any group within the UK. These days Observers have to undergo formal training and an accreditation procedure via the IMI Awards an independent standards organisation.
As for Me I was brought up on a small farm and at the tender age of ten managed to save my pocket money and purchased a Morris 10 van from a local garage on the understanding that they delivered it to my home for the princely sum of £5 which I learnt to drive on the lane to our house. My parents had no knowledge of the transaction until I proudly drove the van up and down the lane but they were quite understanding if not fully approving of the idea.
I managed to cover over a hundred miles driving the old van up and down our lane giving many a ride to the kids from the village on the proviso that they stumped up some petrol money but eventually the van expired. Not to be put off I then saved more pocket money and bought an old BSA motorcycle. It had been left in a neighbour’s barn for many years and I nagged him to sell it to me and I think in order to have a quiet life and on the understanding that my father would be only too pleased to let me have a bike to meddle with he agreed. I don’t think he thought I would ever get it running but I did and had many hours of fun riding the old bike around the fields.
Come sixteen I left school and took an apprenticeship in a local garage and attended Swansea College of Technology on a day release basis. The college selected me for the ‘Technician’ stream of students and during one of our classes the lecturer encouraged us by saying we were the future managers of the industry. This set me on my next goal and after working my way up I managed to obtain the job of general service manager of a main dealer in Swansea at the age of just twenty three. I thought I was cock of the walk and the envy of all my friends with my grand job title and company car.
People who have passed an IAM test have substantially fewer accidents and typically report getting more pleasure from driving too. Research has shown that IAM training increases a wide range of driving skills,including speed, safe distances, gear changing and cornering.
The IAM was formed in 1956 and has more than 90,000 members, all of whom have taken and passed an advanced test in a car, commercial vehicle or on a motorcycle. In 2006, the charity took over the work of the AA Motoring Trust, which had been established in 2002 by The Automobile Association. The charity brought its different activities and programmes together under one umbrella called IAM RoadSmart in 2016. read wikipedia article here
People are trained by volunteer mentors know as ‘Observers’. There are two levels of Observer a Local and a National the former being restricted to training within one of the 200 local groups and the latter able to train in any group within the UK. These days Observers have to undergo formal training and an accreditation procedure via the IMI Awards an independent standards organisation.
As for Me I was brought up on a small farm and at the tender age of ten managed to save my pocket money and purchased a Morris 10 van from a local garage on the understanding that they delivered it to my home for the princely sum of £5 which I learnt to drive on the lane to our house. My parents had no knowledge of the transaction until I proudly drove the van up and down the lane but they were quite understanding if not fully approving of the idea.
I managed to cover over a hundred miles driving the old van up and down our lane giving many a ride to the kids from the village on the proviso that they stumped up some petrol money but eventually the van expired. Not to be put off I then saved more pocket money and bought an old BSA motorcycle. It had been left in a neighbour’s barn for many years and I nagged him to sell it to me and I think in order to have a quiet life and on the understanding that my father would be only too pleased to let me have a bike to meddle with he agreed. I don’t think he thought I would ever get it running but I did and had many hours of fun riding the old bike around the fields.
Come sixteen I left school and took an apprenticeship in a local garage and attended Swansea College of Technology on a day release basis. The college selected me for the ‘Technician’ stream of students and during one of our classes the lecturer encouraged us by saying we were the future managers of the industry. This set me on my next goal and after working my way up I managed to obtain the job of general service manager of a main dealer in Swansea at the age of just twenty three. I thought I was cock of the walk and the envy of all my friends with my grand job title and company car.
I quickly learnt that managing a team of twenty five people was very different to being responsible for the repair of a car with the job satisfaction that it gave of a job well done. I was responsible for sales analysis, budgets, profit margins as well as keeping the workforce dutifully employed. This was alien to me as I was more used to checking tolerances and all things mechanical and I spent long hours knocking things into shape and learning new skills and to be honest it was a case of climbing the ladder too soon. However I kept at it and became quite proficient at the job. There followed a succesion of management jobs and a short spell as a contract engineer working in the Netherlands. Then in 1981 my career took a different direction when I joined Commercial Union as a Staff Motor Engineer where I worked through the several mergers until retirement.
Over these years I spent some time trying my hand at rally driving but always had some sort of motorcycle in my garage. I am currently the pround owner of my 56th motorcycle and 18th BMW and have always had great pleasure from the joy of motorcycling. Around 1996 I purchased my first brand new bike and I was like a dog with two tails. This led to a succesion of new bikes changing them for the latest and greatest about every two years, however, I quickly realised that traffic conditions and bike performance had changed a lot from my early days and if I was going to keep safe and continue to enjoy my biking then I needed some advanced training.
This led me to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) recently rebranded as IAM RoadSmart. I joined the IAM and was introduced to my local group South Wales Advanced Motorcyclists (SWAM) who undertook my training. I learnt so much from these people who freely give of their time in helping others become safer drivers and riders. Every journey became both a joy and challenge as I tried to change my riding and adopt ‘the System’ as it is known. I had to learn that restraint is a big part of advanced riding as well as making swift progress and I now ride and drive in a calm controlled manner. I get more pleasure from my riding and driving than before as well as keeping myself and others safer.
About eighteen years ago I decided to give something back and train up to become an Observer for the IAM which I did. I have enjoyed my role as an Observer and now work on a volunteer basis with several local groups and nationally training associates and mentoring observers in both motorcycle and car.
I am still passionate about all aspects of motoring and outside my inolvment in the local church it takes up all my time. I recommend taking advanced training no matter what your age as it will make your driving or riding so much safer and bring pleasure to each journey.
David Meadows
Over these years I spent some time trying my hand at rally driving but always had some sort of motorcycle in my garage. I am currently the pround owner of my 56th motorcycle and 18th BMW and have always had great pleasure from the joy of motorcycling. Around 1996 I purchased my first brand new bike and I was like a dog with two tails. This led to a succesion of new bikes changing them for the latest and greatest about every two years, however, I quickly realised that traffic conditions and bike performance had changed a lot from my early days and if I was going to keep safe and continue to enjoy my biking then I needed some advanced training.
This led me to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) recently rebranded as IAM RoadSmart. I joined the IAM and was introduced to my local group South Wales Advanced Motorcyclists (SWAM) who undertook my training. I learnt so much from these people who freely give of their time in helping others become safer drivers and riders. Every journey became both a joy and challenge as I tried to change my riding and adopt ‘the System’ as it is known. I had to learn that restraint is a big part of advanced riding as well as making swift progress and I now ride and drive in a calm controlled manner. I get more pleasure from my riding and driving than before as well as keeping myself and others safer.
About eighteen years ago I decided to give something back and train up to become an Observer for the IAM which I did. I have enjoyed my role as an Observer and now work on a volunteer basis with several local groups and nationally training associates and mentoring observers in both motorcycle and car.
I am still passionate about all aspects of motoring and outside my inolvment in the local church it takes up all my time. I recommend taking advanced training no matter what your age as it will make your driving or riding so much safer and bring pleasure to each journey.
David Meadows