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how good a driver are you?
By
Stephanie
Gilmartin
“it is possible to drive much more
impressively in a more controlled way”
When your child passes their driving test, it should be a
time of celebration, but for many parents it causes acute
anxiety. Suddenly, your child can drive alone in a car, with the
assumption that they know what they are doing because they
have passed a test. Cockiness, bravado and misplaced confidence
are an almost omnipresent force in young drivers, and no doubt
contribute to many of the accidents we see on our roads.
This parental anxiety is perhaps exacerbated locally by the fact that, in the past nine
years, there have been over forty serious car crashes in and around Stewarton. Five of
these have resulted in fatalities.
Driven to change this track record, George Goldie is keen to use his experience on
the roads to make our roads safer by offering free Advanced Driving lessons to young
people around Ayrshire.
George, a former farmer, has always been a confident driver, having driven tractors
on the family farm since the age of five. It was during a stint delivering eggs in 1971
that George got a rude awakening, when a policeman he was delivering to told him
his driving was atrocious. George was perplexed – how could he be a bad driver, when
he’d been driving for such a long time? However, he took the policeman’s advice and
did the Advanced Driving course, taught by the policeman’s wife. He passed first time
and became hooked on the concept of being a better driver and teaching others, soon
qualifying as an Institute of Advanced Motorists instructor himself.
impressively in a more controlled way. He signed up straight away
and is now a qualified IAM instructor with several years’ experience
under his belt.
It was Ben who suggested starting classes at Goldie’s farm, as there
was plenty of land for parking and manoeuvres. In the past seven
years, George and Ben have seen all seventy of their candidates
pass their Advanced Driving test, all but two on the first attempt.
All that is required to register for lessons is a substantive (full)
driving licence. An average of eight lessons is usually required but it
does depend on pupil’s levels of skill and enthusiasm.
George has established such a lean operating model that all
learners need to pay for is the final test and first year membership
of the IAM, at a cost of £96; all teaching is by voluntary Advanced
Motorists and is free. Advantages include savings on fuel and
maintenance, lower insurance premiums and, critically, safer
driving.
Lessons currently take place on Tuesday evenings, in
your own car, and last around two hours. So far, most
advertising has been word-of-mouth, and the course has
been very well-received by both learners and the local
community. If you would like to take part, call 01560
484770 or 07967 211510 for more information.
He went on to set up groups in Ardrossan and Ayr, and over the years has held a
number of positions within the IAM, culminating in the post of National Chairman
1996-2006. In 1998 Goldie was awarded an OBE for Services to Road Safety, and he
is currently a Vice President of the IAM.
The IAM, an independent road safety charity, has 220 voluntary groups across the
UK, with 30 in Scotland. It is made up of many voluntary driving instructors who
dedicate their time to coaching youngsters in the hope of making Britain’s roads safer.
All tuition is free, and it is aimed primarily at 18-25 year olds who have recently
passed their tests, though there is no upper age limit for the course. In fact, many of
the parents who have brought their children to Goldie’s farm, Lugtonridge, for lessons
have ended up joining in, and passing the test themselves.
The location of the farm has been a factor in George’s awareness of traffic accidents.
George has witnessed several “horrific” accidents on the adjoining A736 over the years,
but maintains, “there is no such thing as a bad road; only bad drivers”. George gave
up farming about ten years ago, and now uses some of the space on his farm for the
Advanced Driving classes, in partnership with Ben Devlin, a former pupil.
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