Tips and Blogs

Yet again, the cost-of-living crisis is tightening its grip on UK motorists. The 2022 RAC Report has found that more than a third of drivers aged 17 to 24 are avoiding necessary vehicle repairs to save money during the financial crisis.

IAM RoadSmart surveyed 1,004 motorists on which roads they are most worried about driving on. 60% of respondents expressed concern about getting behind the wheel, in some form.

The 31st of October is an exciting day of the year for many children and parents going trick-or-treating or off to Halloween parties.

On Sunday 30th October the clocks are going back - good news for those of us who will enjoy an extra hour in bed! However, it also means we’re going to be travelling to and from work in the dark a lot more.

National Safe Speeds Day encourages motorists to comply with speed limits. It also encourages motorists to understand the benefits of legal and safe speeds.

The hormonal changes of the menopause can be uncomfortable, distressing and unpredictable, and with the number of people experiencing menopause expected to reach 1.1 billion people by 2025.

What’s the best way to tackle a steep and winding road safely? In another of our series of safe driving articles, Richard Gladman, IAM RoadSmart’s Head of Driving & Riding Standards, offers his expert advice.

Driving into an unfamiliar city or even town can be stressful. Here’s IAM RoadSmart’s Head of Driving & Riding Standards, Richard Gladman, with some helpful pointers as part of his Safer Driving series.

I read an excellent report recently from the TRL Academy - Transport 2020: Addressing future mobility needs which sets out expert views on many of the challenges for society as we move towards more autonomous and connected vehicles. The report poses lots of questions – for many it will take several years before we have a definitive answer.

What do you do when you need a holiday after a couple of years being stuck at home because of successive Covid-19 lockdowns? You drive to the Arctic Circle of course! That was exactly what IAM RoadSmart member Zak Southwood, and his girlfriend Darcy McGowan did at the start of this year; fulfilling Zak’s long held ambition to take the trip to the outer reaches of Europe.

One member’s review of his experience on an IAM RoadSmart Skills Day. Running 13 Skills Day dates across the year, IAM RoadSmart use three race circuits including a mix of car and bike enthusiasts.

"My first run report held a surprise for me; the word “outstanding” was used. After my second run, my Observer suggested I should book my test, unless… (he paused dramatically) unless I fancied an attempt at achieving a F1RST, in which case a few more runs should do the trick. I realised in that moment how much I had changed, how hungry I was to be the best I could be, and how could I ignore the dangled carrot of a F1RST?" Read the latest blog by Karen Allen here.

Heidi Limbert discovered several passions and experiences have merged over the last few years. The main two being mental health and motorbikes. As a rider herself she discovered freedom and tranquillity on a bike, but now has learnt so much more.

"Several years of riding had seen me develop several bad habits that I didn’t know I had. With the help of my Observer supplied by the Herts & Beds Advanced Motorcyclists group (HBAM) I had several sessions out on the road, a few classroom sessions and passed my advanced examination with a F1RST." Tony Smith, Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service Fire Bike Team Leader.

I passed my IAM RoadSmart assessment originally in 1992 driving a Peugeot 205 1.9 GTI, which I somehow managed to get as a company car – today this would be regarded as a serious contender for one of the best cars ever made and good examples sell for healthy sums. The classic car market is alive and well, and many hundreds change hands at auctions and on forecourts every month.