Double Distinction for Masters pair

First passing their Masters with a Distinction in 2016, our Chair and Chief Observer, Roger Hicks, and Secretary, Ashley Behan, set their sights on re-taking the qualification in late 2021.

The IAM RoadSmart Masters standard offers the ultimate challenge for civilian drivers and is seen as the highest standard of civilian driving ability in the country. The test is carried out over a 2-hour period in an unfamiliar area by an IAM RoadSmart Regional Service Delivery Manager, who are former Police Class 1 drivers.

We can now reveal that Roger and Ashley, who are IAM Lincolnshire’s only Masters Mentors, successfully passed their re-qualification just a few weeks apart - both achieving the Distinction standard. Ashley’s pass came first in late-2021, followed by Roger’s in early 2022.

In preparation, Roger and Ashley carried out several review drives with each other and refreshed their knowledge on RoadCraft, the police drivers handbook. Ashley said “We both wanted to make sure we continued to lead IAM Lincolnshire by example, so
re-taking our Masters was high on our agenda. We did feel our skills had dropped a little after periods with less driving throughout COVID-19 but refresher drives with each other really helped. We’re delighted with the result, especially to maintain the distinction standard.”

The pair are now working to help others in Lincolnshire achieve Masters standard and have already started coaching sessions with two IAM Lincolnshire observers, with more to follow later in 2022.

Roger added “As a mature driver, I was particularly pleased to achieve another pass with Distinction. Our joint refresher drives proved useful in preparing us for the challenging Masters test and ensured that we were both able to deliver competent and skilled drives on the day. As Masters Mentors, we now look forward to helping other people to achieve the qualification. ”

You can find out more about the IAM RoadSmart Masters programme here.

Congratulations Roger and Ashley.