Advanced Drive - Insurance Discounts - Is it worth Taking The Course

Stanthedog

Hi
I'm considering to attempt to take an Advanced Driving course offered by the Institute of Advanced Motorists, as well as becoming a better driver (I do 30k plus miles per year) I'm interested in lowing my insurance premiums. How does the insurance discount work. Do all insurers offer this or is it just the IAM own insurer. Anyone any experience and does it justify the course cost £180?

Trebor16

Some insurers other than the IAM's own scheme will give a discount, others don't. But don't look at the training as a means of reducing your premiums, think of the potential benefits to your own driving that the course can bring.

Strider590

Stanthedog wrote: »

Hi
I'm considering to attempt to take an Advanced Driving course offered by the Institute of Advanced Motorists, as well as becoming a better driver (I do 30k plus miles per year) I'm interested in lowing my insurance premiums. How does the insurance discount work. Do all insurers offer this or is it just the IAM own insurer. Anyone any experience and does it justify the course cost £180?

TBH most of the time I think people do the AIM course just to get the window sticker, they then drive about like plastic policemen, trying to self enforce their own personal version of the law on the rest of us.... Which is a shame as I think AIM skills are something everyone should have.

scotsbob

I have passed both the IAM and ROSPA courses and while some companies do offer discounts I have always found that by using comparison sites I have always got better deals.

Don't take the course to reduce your insurance premiums, you will be disappointed, but do take it to improve your skills.

Personally I found the ROSPA course to be a better one than the IAM.

Tippytoes

Bear in mind, that once qualified, IAM charges an annual membership fee.

Quentin

Tippytoes wrote: »

Bear in mind, that once qualified, IAM charges an annual membership fee.

It does, but as others have said, being an "advanced" motorist for the insurance premium is a waste of time, as you can get cheaper insurance with other insurers who do not recognise the IAM pass!

So no point paying the ongoing annual fee unless you want to support the Institute. (You don't "lose" your "pass status" if you don't pay the annual sub)

Delivery_Driver

It saves me a tenner on my insurance, so not worth it for that alone.

forgotmyname

I have tried ticking those boxes and mostly the price difference is tiny £2 or £3, Oddly
some companies actually quoted higher premiums if you ticked those boxes.

Do they assume i have taken advanced courses so i presume i am a better driver than everyone else
on the road then drive around like a nutter to show my superior car control at the ragged edge?

Mystery?

Road_Hog

forgotmyname wrote: »

I have tried ticking those boxes and mostly the price difference is tiny £2 or £3, Oddly
some companies actually quoted higher premiums if you ticked those boxes.

Mystery?

It is quite simple, the sort of people who take these courses are, as someone has already mentioned, plastic policemen. Not everyone, but you get a higher proportion.

They are the sort that will sit in the fast lane at 70 mph refusing to move over (because they are already doing the maximum speed limit) or who 'police' the 50 mph limit in roadworks.

This means, that whilst they do not actually do the 'crashing' themselves, they put themselves more often in a situation where they frustrate other drives and therefore cause more accidents. Obviously at some stage they are probably going to end up in contact with someone that they have frustrated and end up being part of the crash.

Therefore the insurance companies don't see them as safer, they see them as higher risk. Just like when you claim on your insurance and the other party admits liability, your premium still goes up. Because even though it was not your fault, the fact that you were involved in an accident tells the insurance company that you are a higher risk. Before someone starts arguing with me, it's all done on stats, and that is what the stats say and why the insurance companies load the premiums.

Tippytoes

Quentin wrote: »

It does, but as others have said, being an "advanced" motorist for the insurance premium is a waste of time, as you can get cheaper insurance with other insurers who do not recognise the IAM pass!

So no point paying the ongoing annual fee unless you want to support the Institute. (You don't "lose" your "pass status" if you don't pay the annual sub)

You're right. When IAM put their fees up, I ducked out. Twas round about the time their HRH patron was done for some or other motoring offence - speeding, I think! They did advise me though, that I no longer had the right to display my "pass" badge in the car.
Nonsense.

Delivery_Driver

Road_Hog wrote: »

It is quite simple, the sort of people who take these courses are, as someone has already mentioned, plastic policemen. Not everyone, but you get a higher proportion.

They are the sort that will sit in the fast lane at 70 mph refusing to move over (because they are already doing the maximum speed limit) or who 'police' the 50 mph limit in roadworks.

This means, that whilst they do not actually do the 'crashing' themselves, they put themselves more often in a situation where they frustrate other drives and therefore cause more accidents. Obviously at some stage they are probably going to end up in contact with someone that they have frustrated and end up being part of the crash.

Therefore the insurance companies don't see them as safer, they see them as higher risk. Just like when you claim on your insurance and the other party admits liability, your premium still goes up. Because even though it was not your fault, the fact that you were involved in an accident tells the insurance company that you are a higher risk. Before someone starts arguing with me, it's all done on stats, and that is what the stats say and why the insurance companies load the premiums.

What's that opinion based on?Be interested to see a link to an insurance company agreeing with it.
If you do these courses, you are taught defensive driving and would know to move over and let the muppet behind you past.