Why should I become an advanced driver?
Maybe you’ve just passed your test, or you’ve been driving a while and want to brush up on your skills or you just fancy a new challenge. You’ve come to the right place for advanced driving in the Thames Valley.
Our team of Observers will mentor you through our syllabus which aims to heighten awareness of core advanced driving concepts and build skills across a range of the most important areas that drivers need.
Key skills of advanced drivers
Being in total control of the vehicle all the time
Having excellent observation skills and timing
Being safe and effective at overtaking
Enjoying progressive driving when and where conditions permit
Being aware of other road users’ behaviour
Understanding how the car works and getting the best from it
What benefits are there?
Being a member entitles you to attend TVGAM meetings and receive our Newsletter six times a year. The IAM will also send you their regular RoadSmart magazine. You have the possibility to go further in training – taking on the Masters challenge or giving back your new skills to the Group in becoming an Observer yourself.
The IAM has affiliated partners making a range of exclusive member offers, and your Test Pass may well help you negotiate a better rate for your car insurance.
What makes advanced drivers special?
When all points of the syllabus have been covered, your Observer will recommend you for test with an examiner – and, should you pass, you’ll become a full member of IAM Roadsmart, the UK’s biggest road safety charity. You’ll retain that status for as long as you are a member of the IAM, and, by continuing within your local group, TVGAM, you’ll be eligible to receive the benefits of membership.
How do I get started?
You can browse all the courses we offer on our site. Each one links directly to IAM RoadSmart for secure payment. As soon as you have purchased your chosen course, their friendly support team will send us your details so our Membership Secretary can get in touch. As a new Associate, we’ll have you on the way as soon as we can allocate an Observer to meet at a time and frequency to suit you both. You will then drive your own car with your Observer sitting alongside you to hone your road craft skills.
Your Observer will provide you with details of the syllabus and a roadmap to better driving in 8 – 12 sessions. The Associate and the Observers often forge a really good relationship that makes the entire process engaging and fun, learning as you go, and building experience that is very hard to replicate in any other environment.
Don’t forget – if you’d like to “try before you buy”, we wholeheartedly invite you to request a free taster drive. Follow the link to get details of how you can organise a free advanced driving session with us.
Watch “The Journey” video
Get a first-hand preview of the Advanced Driving Course by watching our video about the process. It will take you step-by-step through how the course works and explains the expectations that we have for new associates as well as the support in place to help you achieve a F1RST.
The video is around 20 minutes long, so grab a coffee, fill in the form and the video will automatically load on this page. Enjoy your first taste of advanced driving!