As a keen caravanner and motorist for many years I have developed quite an interest in the sheer fun of driving. Not just getting the car and/or caravan from A - B but doing so as skilfully and expertly as I can, making appropriate progress but always remaining as safe as I can be. I suppose you could say that this interest has gradually developed into almost an obsession with me, the art of high quality driving and, more recently, driver training.
Therefore, I find it difficult to understand why, when further driver training opportunities are available at some pretty low prices, e.g. £85 for the IAM's Skill for Life course, why so few people actually take them up. I'm not talking about the manoeuvring courses organised by both the C&CC and the CC as, in my experience, they do very little to enhance the quality of driving; they concentrate largely on moving the caravan. In fact, the C&CC course doesn't even take participants onto the highway. No, what I am talking about is enhanced driving skills or 'advanced driving', whether this is done as an IAM Advanced Towing course or simply an IAM Advanced/ROSPA solo course.
I read on another forum that fewer than 3% of the UK's license holders have had any training beyond the DSA driving test.
As a member of the IAM (and also an IAM Observer) perhaps I'm looking at it from the perspective of someone who already knows the benefits and therefore finds it easy to understand the advantages of further training. So can I pose this question to a group of people who, because they tug caravans behind them as something of a hobby, might be able to give me some insight. Why would you not want to take some further driver training to help get the best from your outfit.
I am not suggesting for one moment that caravanners in particular are in need of further training. Quite the contrary as, on the whole, the one's I come across are a responsible and sensible group of drivers. Even when it comes to the less experienced, not being able to reverse correctly onto a pitch is hardly likely to cause death or serious injury. But I would like to have some sort of understanding of what needs to be done to persuade people in outfits that often have a combined cost of over £20,000 (and sometimes double that!) to spend £85 on buying a 'Skill for Life.'
I would be very interested in your responses.
Therefore, I find it difficult to understand why, when further driver training opportunities are available at some pretty low prices, e.g. £85 for the IAM's Skill for Life course, why so few people actually take them up. I'm not talking about the manoeuvring courses organised by both the C&CC and the CC as, in my experience, they do very little to enhance the quality of driving; they concentrate largely on moving the caravan. In fact, the C&CC course doesn't even take participants onto the highway. No, what I am talking about is enhanced driving skills or 'advanced driving', whether this is done as an IAM Advanced Towing course or simply an IAM Advanced/ROSPA solo course.
I read on another forum that fewer than 3% of the UK's license holders have had any training beyond the DSA driving test.
As a member of the IAM (and also an IAM Observer) perhaps I'm looking at it from the perspective of someone who already knows the benefits and therefore finds it easy to understand the advantages of further training. So can I pose this question to a group of people who, because they tug caravans behind them as something of a hobby, might be able to give me some insight. Why would you not want to take some further driver training to help get the best from your outfit.
I am not suggesting for one moment that caravanners in particular are in need of further training. Quite the contrary as, on the whole, the one's I come across are a responsible and sensible group of drivers. Even when it comes to the less experienced, not being able to reverse correctly onto a pitch is hardly likely to cause death or serious injury. But I would like to have some sort of understanding of what needs to be done to persuade people in outfits that often have a combined cost of over £20,000 (and sometimes double that!) to spend £85 on buying a 'Skill for Life.'
I would be very interested in your responses.