Mick visits the "Driving Doctor"

Release/Rhyddhau: 02/05/06

Contact/Cyswllt: Ceirion Rees:
029 2089 8342/ 07733280105/ ceirion.rees@wales.gov.uk 

Montgomeryshire AM, Mick Bates, has thanked local "Driving Doctor" Geoff Smith for taking him on an advanced driving assessment last week.

Mick was taking part in the launch of Drivecheck, an initiative created by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), to give experienced drivers the chance to receive expert advice about their motoring skills.

Commenting, Mick said: "Like most politicians I spend hours each week in the car driving from one place to another.  Like most people who have been driving for 30 years I've picked up a few bad habits.   Thanks to spending time with Geoff my trips across the county are going to be a lot safer.

"I would enthusiastically encourage people to take the advanced driving basement for themselves.  People should think of it as a driving health check.  Just as you would go to your doctor for a medical so also people should go to driving doctors to check they're as fit for the road as they can be." 

"No-one should be worried about taking this course, because the feedback is given in a positive and un-patronising way.  We can all benefit from an expert view, even if we think we're great drivers already. 

The IAM DriveCheck tests last one hour- with thirty or forty minutes of driving followed by a discussion and a short report of your driving ability.  There is no test involved; instead it's simply constructive advice and assessment from an IAM-accredited expert.