Here is the way we work at North Wales Advanced Drivers (NWAD).
Our Training scheme is run through RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders, known as RoADAR. If you wish to find full details of the scheme and to look up our Group, simply go to the RoADAR website and look up ‘North Wales Advanced Drivers’. RoSPA, of course, is the nationally and internationally known Health & Safety organisation; RoADAR is part of their road safety and driver training section.
Compared with other organisations offering tuition towards the Advanced Driving Test, the major feature of the RoSPA Car Test is that the pass level is graded as ‘Bronze’, ‘Silver’ or ‘Gold’. Whilst Bronze is a good achievement for the average driver, whose driving performance is significantly above the standard required to pass the L-test, Silver is awarded to drivers who are well above average but lacking the polish, flair and smoothness of the Gold driver. The Gold grade is generally recognised as the highest driving award available to the general public, hence the RoSPA Advanced Driving Test is accepted to be the most comprehensive and, at its highest level, should you choose, the most challenging, available. It is monitored and approved by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) as with the ‘L’-test.
Another feature is that whatever level is reached, the award only remains valid for up to 3 years. We all lose the skills we have learned with time and bad habits can often creep in (or creep back!). So a re-test (with free tuition for Group Members) is carried out after 3 years and gives the opportunity to check on your standard – or to achieve a higher one! This is just the kind of re-training and checking scheme which is undertaken by professionals such as coach and lorry drivers, police drivers and even airline pilots. Nobody can retain their proficiency without periodic retraining and assessment. The re-test is free each time, provided that you remain in membership of RoADAR.
Training within our Group is, of course, only carried out by our qualified Tutors. You will be allocated to a Tutor on a one-to-one basis: somebody who lives reasonably near to you but far enough away to have some new roads for you to practise on. Once you have joined the Group, tuition is free. The amount of tuition you need is decided between yourself, your Tutor and the Training Officer; normally it is 10 training sessions within a 3-month period, followed by a Check Drive before Test. Additional training is also available at our Driving Meetings. This enables most people to reach a reasonable standard, depending upon the amount of extra practice they do.
Os hoffech hyfforddiant trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg mae gennym diwtor yng Ngogledd ein hardal sy’n medru gwneud hyn. [For Welsh speakers we can offer tuition in Welsh.]
If all this sounds to be of interest, please get in touch via our contact number or form. Your contact will be very welcome. The next step is to ask us more if you wish, or to join up and start with an initial assessment of your driving, at your convenience, by one of our Tutors. This can either be done by individual appointment to suit yourself, or by attending one of our regular Driving Meetings – just ask for details. We very much look forward to hearing from you.
Click here to Contact NWAD.