The experience of driving has changed enormously over the last decades: think of the huge advances in vehicle technology and the improvements in safety that have followed.  And the driving experience promises to continue to evolve into the future: electric vehicles for all by 2035 and autonomous, self-driving cars just around the corner.

Today, we are celebrating achievements by two of our younger and older members.

Rosie Fishburn recently passed her Advanced Driver Test and is just starting out as an advanced driver.
Brian Layt-Williams is retiring after many years as an IAM observer.

During my time at Stafford, the IAM produced an observer training syllabus and assessment process with a view to getting common standards.  But our Chief Observer thought they knew better, so we worked with a modified version of it.

Still it was a start.

I moved to the Oxford group (now OAD) in about 2015, following a request for more observers.

My biggest gain from being an observer has been getting immense satisfaction from improving drivers’ confidence, skills and attitude - and keeping my own skills up to scratch.

To me the biggest improvement in observing has been the introduction of the concept of Take, Use and Give (TUG) into the ‘Information’ phase of the IPSGA system.  This leads to the observer becoming much more involved in two-way communication with their associate.  I believe that, once our associates have fully grasped the Information phase of the system, the rest falls into place much more easily for them.

Two of my memories of observing concern my youngest and oldest associates.  The youngest was a terrified and barely competent driver who I practically had to teach to drive and who told me that their mum wouldn’t let them drive over 40mph.  I persevered with them and after about eight runs they told me that, for the first time, they had enjoyed their 18 mile drive to work – brilliant!  I thought that’s what observing is all about.  They went on to pass their test.

My other memorable associate was an 89 year old who drove me to distraction but through all the trials and tribulations we got on very well and had a lot of laughs and who, much to my delight, stopped driving like an oldie and passed the test, only just missing out on a F1rst.

The lockdown, with all the restrictions, probably made a lot of us nearly give up driving so I decided to hang up my observing clip board.  I’m delighted that the drive outs are beginning again soon, so that I can regain my skills.

Meanwhile, I’m back in the saddle of my electric bike adding to the 3000 miles that I have clocked up since the start of lockdown.  By the way, the Information phase works just as well on a bike, just more slowly.