Different advanced driving courses?

[jumplead]

A friend of mine is looking at doing some advanced driver training. She had her first assessment today with a IAM instructor who mentioned that she may be better doing a DIAmond course rather than IAM.

Is there any fundamental difference between the 2 courses that anyone knows of? Some basic searches I've done looks like the DIAmond course is more for instructors? Is this the case?

Any help would be very useful.

Thanks,

Ollie

[Dizeee]

A friend of mine is looking at doing some advanced driver training. She had her first assessment today with a IAM instructor who mentioned that she may be better doing a DIAmond course rather than IAM.

Is there any fundamental difference between the 2 courses that anyone knows of? Some basic searches I've done looks like the DIAmond course is more for instructors? Is this the case?

Any help would be very useful.

Thanks,

Ollie



The diamond course is on a par with Rospa, where you are graded and the feeback is more succinct. IAM is a simple pass fail course and to be honest in AD circles is regarded as the simplest test one can take. The do however provice the means to take an IAM Diploma which would be to a Rospa "Gold" level. You have then got the option of Rospa diploma that is one step higher again.

So thats IAM, Rospa and Diamond as three options. Of the 3 Rospa is the most popular, has the most consistnet standards and is now becoming more widely recognised. IAM members would argue the following point all day but the fact is a Rospa course is to a higher standard than an IAM, even a bronze. You would be expected to offer some sort of commentary with a Rospa course aswell.

If you wish to undertake a "course" there are various options, for example Mark Kendrick heads up "Club Driving", you have Don Palmer and Hugh who are the gatekeepers for HPC, and then there is Andy Walsh in Wales...

It depends on what you want, limit handling on an airfield to road driving rechnique, it's all there :)

[jumplead]

Thanks Dizeee,

She is booked into the DIA-mond advanced scheme, with a session in the coming weeks. Hopefully that will turn out to be what she was looking for.

Thanks again for the insight

[Harsh]

ollie, what did your friend think of the Dia course?

[dreamer]

Don isn't a gatekeeper for HPC anymore.....

[the driving doctor]

Don isn't a gatekeeper for HPC anymore.....

Thats correct ... but his courses are great and he also has a tie-in with Mark Hales - a truly great circuit driver of our times.

Don specialies in attitude and mind/mental control as well - so it has all the right ingredients for a great learning day out.