Well done to Liba who recently passed the advanced driving test. We asked for some feedback on how she found both the training and test.
The guided drives were brilliant: I felt I could ask anything related to driving and could choose a focus for each session. All the observers and trainee observers were completely professional and very helpful. The lengths of each session and the intervals between them were just right, enabling me to assimilate the new knowledge and practise the new skills. I needed more sessions than an average person before I felt ready for the test; I was never made to feel awkward and always felt very welcome.
The test felt like “just another guidance drive”, at least I tried to tell myself this to stop feeling nervous (as advised), and it helped. It was a varied route and the examiner put me at ease at the very beginning. There were no surprises and the examiner’s feedback accurately reflected the drive, with the scores being better than I had imagined. I felt extremely pleased when I received the written comments and certificate.
The benefits of the course are enormous: I now feel confident driving my car and have learnt invaluable skills for negotiating traffic on motorways and at roundabouts. I know that I still have areas where I need to improve. However, I learnt that this positive attitude is vital for a thinking driver, to reflect and continue learning. That’s why I would like to give back to the local community and keep IPSGA at the forefront of my mind.
I would not have believed a year ago that I am making arrangements to become an IAM observer, that’s how much of a positive impact the IAM experience has had on me.
Finally, I would like to thank everybody who helped me to achieve advanced driver status. I am now actually enjoying driving (particularly on country roads) which I would not have believed I would be saying before I started the course. Had I known how much this course would help transform my driving, I would have taken it a long time ago!
