IAM Lincolnshire celebrates 50th anniversary of road safety mission

A charity dedicated to improving safety on Lincolnshire’s roads and reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries has celebrated its 50th anniversary.

IAM Lincolnshire is an independent affiliate of IAM RoadSmart (formerly Institute of Advanced Motorists) and one of the biggest road safety charities in the country. It aims to improve safety by providing advanced driving courses delivered by volunteer observers, who are all advanced drivers themselves.

Anyone with a licence can sign up for the course, which is delivered by a team of 25 volunteers across Lincolnshire, Newark and Retford, and concludes with a test, generally carried out by a former police officer advanced driver.

Richard Hardesty, one of the volunteer observers, says about 50 drivers a year successfully complete the course in Lincolnshire and are awarded a certificate and membership of IAM Lincolnshire. He’s confident that doing this makes them a better driver as a result.

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“The course is based on police roadcraft and is the version available to the public,” explains Richard. “Advanced driving is all about dealing with the hazards on the roads.

“The main premise is about making progress in a safe and legal manner; we encourage people to stick to the speed limit and have an increased awareness of what they are doing while driving.

“On occasion, most of us have driven down the road on autopilot. We’re so caught up in our own lives, the kids are on the back seat shouting at us, or a relative calls while we're driving, we’re worrying about getting to our destination, where we’re going to park, pre-occupied with so many different things, that we’re maybe not fully concentrating on the driving itself.”

As one of the largest counties, with 6,000 miles of road network, Lincolnshire has some challenging driving conditions. It has a mix of A, B and unclassified routes, used by many slow-moving farm vehicles, while the A17 is used by a lot of HGVs, meaning it is slower than average too.

“People are rushing to get to their next appointment, frustrated with the slow-moving traffic and that’s when they start taking risks, this coupled with lots of visitors passing through in summer to get to Norfolk and the coast, drivers who are not familiar with our roads, can all lead to issues,” adds Richard.

“Motorists need to be responsible and follow the rules of the Highway Code, after all roads without anybody on them aren’t dangerous, it’s only when people are put on roads that they become so.”

The advanced driving course - which looks at information, position, speed, gear and acceleration – can begin with a free taster, when an IAM Lincolnshire observer goes out with the driver in their own car, on their local roads.

“We give motorists pointers and tips, and a feel for what the course will be like,’ says Richard. Those that sign up for the full course are either people who really like driving and are keen to improve, or often elderly people who have lost their spouse and need a confidence boost as they now find themselves doing all of the driving after many years.

“The other age group are the 17-year-olds who have recently passed their test. Their parents are worried about them being on the road and have heard about the course and are seeking one of our subsidised slots.”

The length of the course varies on each individual. Some people require more one-hour sessions than others, although most are ready to sit the test after six to eight sessions, and no-one is put in for it until they are ready.

The cost of the advanced driving course is £179. Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire Marc Jones funded 100 courses for the under 25 age group after being impressed when he completed it himself. He has since sponsored another 50 places, which are available at a reduced price of £50.

As well as overseeing the test, IAM Lincolnshire members also take part in other events and give talks to community groups.

Members celebrated the group’s 50th anniversary with a special meeting attended by Ida Pankhurst, the widow of Ken Pankhurst, who founded it in 1973 along with police sergeant Bob Hardisty.

To find out more IAM Lincolnshire and the advanced driver course visit iamroadsmart.com/groups/Lincolnshire

What do you think? Do you think our drivers should take an advanced course to help boost road safety? Post your thoughts in the comments below