Joining RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders – Cleveland
Are you Interested?
There are two main organisations in the UK which promote advanced driving, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is one of the two that have an Advanced Drivers and Riders wing, known as RoADAR
The RoSPA tuition and test are generally regarded as the more demanding and are of a very high standard. The aim of RoADAR is quite simply to improve driving standards on Britain’s ever more congested road network.
The headquarters of RoSPA is in Birmingham, but all the driving tuition and testing is done via the network of local RoADAR groups. RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders – Cleveland has a thriving membership but we are always keen to recruit new members. If you wish to join RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders – Cleveland you will be made most welcome. The first step is to join as an associate member – the initial joining fee is £15 with second and subsequent years £9.50 by bank transfer or £10 by cheque.
Attached on this site is a link to the application form, should you wish to proceed which, when completed, should be returned to the address on the form, along with either a cheque for £15 made payable to ‘RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders – Cleveland’ or complete the standing order mandate and send it to your bank. Once we have received the form we will pass your details onto our coordinator, who in turn will put you in touch with an Observer/Tutor.
The Tutor will arrange to go out with you in your vehicle (in the case of a car) at a mutually convenient time and will observe your driving/riding and provide feedback at the end of each session – which normally lasts about 1½ hours. There is no charge for this service as all the Tutors are members of RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders – Cleveland and provide their services on a voluntary basis. Most associate members will be 
assessed over several sessions depending on their experience and standard of driving – most need about six – and when the Tutor feels they have attained a good standard they will be assessed by another Tutor before being recommended for the test. As with most courses, a level of commitment is required and the sessions need to be on a regular basis. Some associate members just want some guidance and encouragement to improve their driving and decide not to proceed to the test, whilst others see it as a natural endpoint. Please keep your Tutor informed, especially if you do not wish to take the test.
The test itself currently costs £80 (inc. VAT) and is conducted by the local RoSPA Examiner who is the holder of a Police Class 1 Advanced Driving/Riding qualification. It lasts about 90 minutes and involves driving in a variety of settings, including town driving, motorway driving (usually just dual carriageways in Cleveland) and down winding country lanes. The candidate is also invited to provide a commentary on their driving for about 5 minutes during the test (Car Only). After the test, there will be some questions on the Highway Code and road craft. Also, there will be some questions on basic vehicle mechanics usually covered by your vehicle handbook.
There are four possible results of the test. A fail, and three levels of pass: bronze, silver or gold. The gold grade is recognised as the highest driving award available to the public in the UK.In order to be successful in the test, not only does the candidate have to be a good driver/rider, but also has to have a detailed knowledge of the theory of advanced driving/riding, which is encapsulated in the book ‘Roadcraft’. This is the driving ‘bible’ used by all the police forces in the UK and is essential reading.
| All enquiries should be directed to our Secretary – Dick McReddie at:
Tel: 07794 160412 |
I look forward to receiving the completed application form, but if you have any questions about RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders – Cleveland or the test please feel free to contact us either by email or phone. Alternatively, for further information about RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders please feel free to visit the RoADAR website at http://www.roada.org.uk/