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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.
As soon as I heard that I had been accepted onto the ‘Skill for Life’ programme, I was initially nervous because I didn’t know quite what to expect. Very soon after being accepted I had my first drive with my Observer, in this he explained the basis of the system of driving which should be used. During this drive I became aware of how many bad habits I had developed; ranging from the common crossing of arms on the steering wheel, to the rather more concerning lack of mirror checks and general observation.
I found that applying new concepts like the system, and new techniques such as sustained-rev gear changes, made my driving much more enjoyable. In every observed drive I was being coached to drive in a much safer way and I quickly decided that this was a far better way of driving. The type of safe driving coached by IAM is not checking mirrors all the time and driving excessively slowly; it is how to handle a car safely at all speeds and in all environments. In fact one of the things my coach was most keen for me to do was to drive faster and make more progress.
When the time came for my test, I was both apprehensive and excited, however the Examiner’s attitude immediately put me at ease. The test was a drive that lasted about an hour and half and all that was required was that I drive the way I had been coached. I actually enjoyed the test and was pleased that my driving was up to the required standard.”
“The ‘Skill for Life’ programme has led to me being a safer and more confident driver and I would thoroughly recommend it to people my age; it allows you to be a safer driver without making driving any less enjoyable.” – Will
