My experience of IАМ RoadSmart

Leon's Story

I often wondered what an advanced motorist was and decided to find out for myself, so I applied to join the Stockport branch of IAM in October 2024.  I had no idea what I was letting myself in for when I turned up at the Old Rectory for my first meeting.  I was made welcome and introduced to my Observer.

For my first run I was given a demonstration run in my observer’s car as to what was required of me.  Well, I thought, I'm a good driver, I can do that. What an idiot I was.  I found that in the 60 years since I had passed my test I had picked up lots of bad habits.  It was my observer’s job to get me to change and in each run I learnt a lot, a new way of doing things that I had never thought of, never even heard of, such as IPSGA and POWDERY.  I didn't check the oil and water weekly (I do now), I didn't check the state of the tyres and wipers (I do now). 

All the things I learnt on my runs I took to heart and practiced every time I went out in the car.  It became normal procedure, and I enjoyed driving more.  After the twelfth run my observer suggested that I was ready to take my test and I was put forward for it, I did do a further run before the test, but this was just to let me know what the examiner would expect of me. 

I was contacted by the examiner in order to decide on the date, time and place to meet him and once that was agreed it was just a matter of waiting for the day.  On the day, full of apprehension, I drove to the agreed meeting place and met the examiner who tried to put me at ease and explained what he wanted me to do and how long it would take.  As it happened, the traffic in some parts of the route was very heavy and it took a bit longer to complete it. At the end I fully expected him to say that I had failed but he didn’t, he said, "You've passed" and I felt on top of the world.

I'm 86 now and a member of the IАМ RoadSmart and if I can do it, anybody can, provided they put their mind to it.

Leon

P.S. My many thanks to Pete Smithies, my Observer on this amazing experience.