Roadcraft 5514

I would suggest from people who have actually sat down, examined different driving techniques, and come to a concensus of opinion on what is best. Of course those people would have to be experienced drivers themselves - but I get your point.

I very much agree with that. The most dangerous time for a newly qualified advanced police driver posted onto traffic is the first 6 - 12 months. Driving fast en route to an accident, or in pursuit of another motorist, is vastly different to driving fast on a course with an instructor sat alongside.

Accepted!

Whilst I don't disagree with that entirely, there are some advanced driving skills which you will never gain simply from 'experience'. You have to be taught them. If you have been taught initially to a mediocre standard (for example to change down through the box while decelerating) then unless someone comes along and says, "That is wrong, this is the proper way to do it". then you will never change your ways no matter how long you drive for!

Like many other drivers, I like to think I've learned from my

Hmmmm. Clearly, without taking a drive with you I couldn't possibly comment upon that. You may be right - but I suspect you are wrong. I'm not for one moment suggesting that you are a bad driver - but rather that advanced driver training would make you very much better. Most drivers (and many experienced) on taking their first 'buttessment' drive on a police or advanced driving course are staggered to learn just how much they are doing that is considered 'wrong' by expert drivers. I certainly was! It's quite a blow to the ego but then, after sitting alongside the instructor and watching him give a demo drive, I just got this burning desire to drive to that standard. Even now, four years after retiring, I still do my damndest to maintain the high standard of driving I was taught by my police instructors.

Again, I still maintain that there are many 'techniques' to advanced driving that you can never simply 'pick up' during experience. They have to be taught.

That's a difficult one and hard to dispute because I have no doubt that there are some drivers who have attended advanced driver training who do not put it into practice and drive badly. I would still argue, however, that any driver who has received advanced driver training, and maintains the standards taught, will invariably be a better driver than someone who has not had the benefit of that training. Unless you have actually undergone advanced training and understood just how much it improves your driving techniques you may find this hard to accept!

Kev