Free driving sessions being given away in Portsmouth and Southampton by IAM RoadSmart

IAM RoadSmart is doing its bit to reduce the numbers of crashes in some of the worst accident areas of the UK, by offering free one-to-one expert driving tuition locally to drivers in Portsmouth and Southampton – before the scheme is rolled out nationwide.

IAM RoadSmart, the UK’s biggest independent road safety charity, will be giving away 1,000 driving module sessions nationwide this year in areas known to be blackspots for road crashes, according to EuroRAP.

These are the roads that have been identified: for cars it’s the A285 north of Portsmouth, A18 Laceby to Ludborough and the A36 from the M3 junction two to the A35. For bikes it’s the A588 in Blackpool, the A27 from the M27 junction 12 to 11, and the A32 from the M27 junction 10 to Gosport.

So IAM RoadSmart has committed to launching its giveaway to drivers in Portsmouth and Southampton to begin, with the release of 100 modules. Any new drivers or those that have had an incident or near miss recently is welcome to apply for a free expert session to help with their driving skills and confidence levels.

The tuition will last an hour and a quarter and take place in the driver’s own car. The expert assigned will give in-depth advice and tips on one of seven key areas identified by IAM RoadSmart as being of concern to a number of UK drivers today. These include:

•  Managing distractions

•  Motorway driving

•  Driving in towns

•  Driving on country roads

•  Managing overtaking

• Parking & manoeuvring, and

•  Managing speed

The modules usually retail at £49 each. The 100 free modules offered by IAM RoadSmart are available from today until 4 August and are being offered on a first come, first served basis by calling 0300 303 1134, quoting ‘Solent Module Offer’. There is one module available per person and applicants must state which of the seven specific driving options listed above that they would like support in when they call. Full details can be found at www.iamroadsmart.com/on-road-offer. All applicants must hold a full driving licence.

Sarah Sillars, IAM RoadSmart Chief Executive Officer, said: “We wanted to do something that directly tackles the issue of safety on our roads. So we have decided to offer free, practical advice that can help drivers in the regions where some of the most dangerous roads are located.

“The tuition is one-to-one, and is designed to help drivers feel more confident behind the wheel. For the cost of a phone call, you could refresh your knowledge and become a better driver. Taking part might be the best decision you make all year!”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

IAM RoadSmart press office – 020 8996 9777 – press.office@iam.org.uk               

ISDN broadcast lines available

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On Facebook: www.facebook.com/IAMRoadSmart              

On Twitter: @IAMRoadSmart  

IAM RoadSmart has a mission to make better drivers and riders in order to improve road safety, inspire confidence and make driving and riding enjoyable. It does this through a range of courses for all road users, from online assessments through to the advanced driving and riding tests. IAM RoadSmart is the trading name of all businesses operated by the UK’s largest road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and was formed in April 2016 combining the IAM, IAM Drive & Survive, PDS and IAM Driver Retraining Academy. The organisation has 92,000 members and campaigns on road safety on their behalf. At any one time there are over 7,000 drivers and riders actively engaged with IAM RoadSmart’s courses, from members of the public to company drivers, while our Driver Retraining Academy has helped 2,500 drivers to shorten their bans through education and support programmes.

To find out more about IAM RoadSmart products and services visit the new website www.iamroadsmart.com              

To find out the name of your own local IAM RoadSmart group please visit: https://wwwiamroadsmart.com/local-groups          

ENDS ALL