Tips and Blogs

Who doesn’t love the idea of hopping into the car and taking to the open road to kick-off our holiday, or for a carefree, weekend trip away. However, with schools about to break-up for the summer and August bank holiday weekend just around the corner, you’re unlikely to be the only person planning at least one weekend of driving over the coming weeks, so thinking ahead is a must.

Whether you’re staying in the UK, or driving to the airport, before taking your car onto the roads this summer, IAM RoadSmart’s Head of Driving & Riding Standards Richard Gladman, has a few top tips to ensuring your journey is a smooth one.

Warm, sunny weather and long days make summer an ideal time for motorcycling. But with parts of the UK already seeing temperatures of over 30 degrees, IAM RoadSmart is warning motorcyclists to be prepared before setting off on those summer rides and know how to keep your cool this summer.

It’s that time of year again when we say goodbye to our winter coats and start digging out our summer wardrobe –many of us might start wearing our comfy flip flops once again.

Road law continues to evolve, and this year we’re seeing some significant changes that will affect millions of Brits. Let’s look at the recent and imminent changes and how they could affect us.

"In the last 24 hours I started my IAM RoadSmart Advanced Rider Course and it’s surprising to me just how much I’ve been reflecting in that time. " Paul Oxborough, Founder of Mental Health Motorbike, has written the latest blog on what he's learnt so far on his journey to becoming an IAM RoadSmart Advanced Rider.

"This year, these last three months have been so very hard. My mum was diagnosed with cancer at the end of December and then we lost her at the end of March. This has created a ripple affect across the family..."

Richard Gladman, Head of Driving and Riding Standards at IAM RoadSmart, is writing a series of blogs to shine a light on the realities of driving an electric car.

Changes could be on their way to not only improve much-needed driving test availability, but also safety. If they go ahead, these will be the most significant changes since 2017 when new elements were introduced to the test itself, including learning to follow satnav instructions, testing different manoeuvres, such as driving into and reversing out of a parking space learning how to park and pull away facing oncoming traffic.

"It’s not that I didn’t trust my partner, but with the most precious cargo we’ve ever carried in the car, I wanted to do everything I could to protect him." Carli Ann Smith received the IAM Roadsmart Advanced Driver course from her grandad as a Christmas gift, and you can read all about her journey here.