Shaking off a stuffy image

Reaching out to a new generation of drivers is something 24-year-old Janette Mackay is 100% committed to these days, but it’s not a role she would have predicted for herself even a few years ago, writes Caroline Brodie

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YOU could be forgiven for expecting the youngest chairman of an advanced driving group to be mad about cars and driving. But Janette Mackay was the opposite.

The recently appointed head of the Northern Liaison Forum of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) frankly admits she only joined up because her driving instructor father felt something had to be done about the “incredible number of bad habits” she had picked up in the few years since passing her test.

These included driving with one hand glued firmly to the gear stick, steering with the palms of her hands, and even resting her forearms on the steering wheel. Habits over which her father, Maurice – a member of the IAM for 40 years – despaired.

Janette is now glad she managed to convince her to give the IAM a go. Passing her advanced driving test not only cut her insurance premium by £200 a year, it led to her making lots of new friends.

Now, the microbiologist, from Maryburgh, near Dingwall, is determined to help the organisation shake off its stuffy image while helping more young drivers gain the skills they need to be safer on the roads.

She believes it is a common misconception that advanced driving is about “driving like an old person”, although she admits there are a few grey hairs among her colleagues.

She said: “Don’t knock them because they are old. There is a wisdom of knowledge there. But hopefully we will get a lot more young members.”

Statistics show that one in three drivers aged 17-20 crashes within two years of passing their test.

Janette was one of the lucky ones who escaped unscathed, but she now admits being “cocky” when she first started driving.

“I was involved in a car accident just after I passed my test and, unfortunately, my car was written off, but I was, luckily, unhurt.

“I appreciate now that I was cocky, and I don’t think I would get in a car with a cocky driver now.

“It was a real wake-up call for me.

“At the end of the day, your car is a little tin can that you have control of and you can either drive it safely or you can drive it like a nutter and possibly never drive a car again.

“But even the best of drivers can get into the biggest of pickles – what we are trying to do is make the driving standards better.”

She said the IAM course helped drivers develop life-saving skills by promoting a better understanding of what their vehicle could do, by enhancing their car-handling skills, in particular those of cornering and overtaking, and by developing awareness of their driving environment and its potential hazards.

She added: “The IAM course enables young drivers to drive safely, with style and pleasure, while remaining within the limits of the law.”

If you want more information about joining visit www.iam.org.uk, call Janette Mackay on 07739 307 070 or e-mail her at janette.mackay@gmail.com

IT TOOK Janette Mackay just over a month to pass her advanced test after completing a course in Inverness in October, 2006. This included a series of lectures and drives with an IAM assessor.

“What the IAM do is take your own personal driving style and improve on it, as well as taking away the bad habits,” she said.

Janette says this has helped her realise her potential as a driver, but also made her more aware of other road users, including motorcyclists, HGV drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

She added: “I make much better use of my windows and mirrors, and I see farther ahead than I used to.”

During these assessment runs, Janette was given tips and advice about how to improve her skills before taking part in a progress run with a senior observer.

When she was deemed ready, she sat her test, which was done in her own car with an examiner.

“You do what is called a commentary,” she said.

“You tell the examiner what you see and how you’re going to react. This should give the examiner the impression that you are a safe driver.”