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As Dumfries & Galloway’s leading road safety charity, we bring decades of combined experience, passion and understanding to help improve the skills and understanding of local drivers and create safer roads for everyone.
Would you like to improve your driving skills, be safer on the road and reduce your chances of having an accident?
Maybe you would like your driving/riding to be more relaxed and enjoyable so that you can confidently handle the variety of situations that you come across.
Whether you are a newly qualified driver or have many years experience, new members are always welcome – we encourage participation from young and old at all levels of experience.
Passing your driving test is just the start, but it doesn’t mean you’re the finished article. Whether you’re a driving enthusiast, someone who enjoys a challenge, or just aware that you have room to improve, if you want to fulfil your potential as a driver you’ve come to the right place.
Our Skill for Life course develops advanced driving techniques stemming from the police’s Roadcraft driving manual, helping you to improve your skills, anticipation and enjoyment behind the wheel. To date over 400,000 people have taken our Advanced Driving Test, quality assured by the DVSA.
As a charity we benefit from a network of local volunteers dedicated to raising driving standards and making the region’s roads a safer place. They are the reason that Skill for Life is possible and will take you on as many observed drives as you need to prepare for the Advanced Driving Test.
As an advanced driver and IAM member you also will benefit from exclusive insurance services provided by IAM Roadsmart in collaboration with CornMarket, the UK’s best insurance company as voted for in the 2015 Auto Express Driver Power Awards.
Gradually as the weeks have passed I have subconsciously adopted the techniques, which come from being an advanced driver. Some of these techniques I have to admit I have not enjoyed or seen the necessity in adopting, for instance the continual commentary which accompanies a drive. I have struggled with this technique as my Observer will testify and came home regularly to complain about it, but in this case I seem to be wrong. I now see the benefits of commentating, as it helps keep your concentration whilst driving, which is of course essential. It may take time as I am sure you all understand since it is a difficult technique to pick up and adopt easily, but I know it will be beneficial to my driving in the long term.
Another technique essential to being an advanced driver is the planned system of driving, which once understood and memorised becomes an automatic response in dealing with any hazard. This five point system: information, position, speed, gear and acceleration, when applied, come as close as possible to a fool proof system at avoiding hazards. However, yet again I admit this system of driving has not come as naturally or as quickly to me as I had hoped, but I know it is crucial and I will continue to persevere.”
Lucy
