IAM urges road users to make brushing up on skills a priority in 2011

Road safety charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is urging road users to forgo new year’s resolutions they may find impossible to keep and instead focus on small changes that will lead to them enjoying the road more and help improve safety.

In the charity’s own words, people are asked to “make 2011 the year when you advance your on-road skills, to improve your driving, riding or cycling enjoyment and the safety of you and those around you.”

Peter Rodger, IAM Chief Examiner commented; “Continuous personal development is often top of the mind at this time of year, but our skill as a driver, rider or cyclist can get taken for granted. Whichever way you travel, make doing it more safely and efficiently your goal for the new year:”

According to the IAM, research it commissioned last year should that nearly one in two women and one in three men believed that taking an advanced driving course, such as the IAM’s own Skill for Life course which costs £139, would boost their confidence behind the wheel. There’s a financial incentive too, with those who have passed the course potentially benefiting from lower insurance premiums.

The IAM also highlights cycling’s role in helping people meet the Department of Health’s recommendation that they undertake physical exercise of 30 minutes’ duration at least five time’s a week, and for those who perhaps don’t yet have the confidence to take to the roads on their bike, it recommends its How To Be A Better Cyclist guide or taking part on one of its three courses.

The charity, which also runs courses for motorcyclists, believes that post-test training is a key factor in reducing the level of road casualties, and will soon be launching a new product, Momentum, aimed at young drivers who have just passed their driving test.