Even on dull days, the shadows cast by a highway over-bridge is an excellent marker with which to check that your following distance is adequate.

Photograph copyright 2012 - All rights reserved

DEFENSIVE DRIVING AND ADVANCED DRIVING COURSES FOR INDIVIDUALS

from

ADVANCED DRIVERS OF AMERICA 

See also:  The Benefits of Defensive- and Advanced Driver Training

ADA Courses and Grades

Defensive Driving and Advanced Driving – What Are The Differences?

ADA runs public courses around the USA; click on this link for details

Why Use ADA as your Training Provider?

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Individual/Public Courses

Defensive Driving

Advanced Driving - Bronze

Advanced Driving - Silver

Advanced Driving - Gold

Triennial Re-assessment 

All driver training from Advanced Drivers of America [ADA] is based firmly upon the "System of Car Control", which is the world's oldest, most in-depth and most proven methodology for teaching safety in driving.  It has been continually developed and refined since 1935 and is taught in the USA and Canada only by ADA.

There is no pass/fail criterion for the ADA defensive driving course because the major gain comes merely from attending but please be aware that, as we place total emphasis on safety, none of the advanced driving courses have a guaranteed pass. Participants are graded strictly on their individual abilities and on exactly how safe and competent they prove to be, at the end of the training.  Although it is rare, any trainee could emerge from a course with a lower qualification than was sought.

If you can come to us, we can train you anytime (subject to our availability).  Most of our training of this type is carried out at Buffalo, NY.  Alternatively, one of our instructors can come to you – anywhere in the USA or Canada – but naturally this is a more expensive option.  It would make good sense, however, if you have several individuals (such as family member, club members or just friends) who need training.  From time to time, we schedule public training sessions in other cities around the country.  Click on this public advanced driving courses link for details.  You may also contact us via info@advanceddrivers.com

Defensive Driving  (a 2-day/16-hour course)

This course is designed to cover the basic essentials of staying safe on the road, which should never be less than the skills and attributes listed here.  From this course, you can expect to get an important insight into driver attitude and to become significantly more aware of factors that will keep you much safer when driving.

This two-day course is comparable to the Institute of Advanced Motorists [IAM] basic training in the UK and independent research from Brunel University recently concluded that drivers who had been through the IAM "System of Car Control" training were nearly 70% better in all aspects of their driving – from steering to judging distances and speed. Earlier research by the Transport Research Laboratory [TRL] concluded that drivers are less likely to crash if they have reached a measurable, higher driving standard.

Just three opinions from our year 2009/10 corporate course participants, on the Clients' Comments page:

Greatly exceeded my expectations! I found the information very useful and have already begun to pass on to family members. Also, the instructor is an excellent and entertaining speaker which very much helps with this type of material. Very interesting course!  S.R.

 

Very good course... I was not looking forward to this but I am really glad [my company] offered it. Very good use of time and money spent. If you think you don’t need this course, then you are the one that needs it most!  J.D.

 

....This was a very good class.  I would not mind doing it again...!  A different  J.D.

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Advanced Driving – Bronze   (a 3-day/24-hour course)

This is the shortest course where you can really start getting to grips with key elements of advanced driving, particularly good attitude and safe, systematic methodology, in addition to all of the features that are crucial to defensive driving.

Here's what just two of our year 2010 two-day course participants said, on the Clients' Comments page:

To extend the course an extra day would be beneficial to gain more hands-on and theory time. Otherwise course was very enlightening and practical.  W.R.

 

Pros. Excellent course to change attitude on today’s defensive way to drive!  Cons – It would be nice if it’s a 3 to 5 day course to really understand [and] sink in the theory.  M.L.

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Advanced Driving – Silver  (a 5-day/40-hour course)

Pass a "Silver Advanced" course and you are starting to get good (as long as you reliably keep on doing it)!  This is dramatically more training, and more in-depth, than most people even get the opportunity to do, let alone achieve.

From the Clients' Comments page:

I had a very rewarding time over the week's training.  I had already been a driving instructor for six years... During the training I observed that I can go to a higher level of awareness.  I can improve my precision and technique through the system, and using running commentary has definitely sharpened my approach toward low risk driving, all of which I could not have learned without taking the training I received from ADA.  The instructor was most excellent.  His people skills are top notch.  His knowledge was thorough [and he had a] good sense of humor.  I was impressed with the instructor and the training I received, and freely recommend [the one-week "Silver" course] to anyone who wants advanced driver training.

M.M., Denver, CO

 

I want to thank you again for the terrific week of advanced driving instruction you provided. We all learned – and unlearned – a lot!  The professionalism, skill level and manner of instruction were first rate.  We also enjoyed the descriptive and at times witty commentary.  And yes, it feels good to have got the "Silver!"

M.T., New York, NY

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Advanced Driving – Gold  (a 10-day/80-hour course)

"Gold Advanced," from ADA, is equal to the highest standard of advanced driving for civilians (as opposed to police and other high-speed emergency services & EVOC drivers) anywhere in the world.

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Triennial Re-Testing and Refresher Training  (varies)

Straightforward re-assessment for Defensive Driving standards can be done in a half-day, whereas re-assessment for any of the Advanced Driving standards takes a full day.

The three-year cycle follows global best practice in the field of advanced driving.

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For further details on anything shown on this page, please use the Information Request form, below, but if – during the set up period for this new website – the form does not appear to function correctly, please e-mail info@advanceddrivers.com and include your full contact details as requested on the form itself.

For a list of our other services, please go to our Website Contents Page.

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Research Footnotes

1.  Stanton, N. A., Walker, G. H., Young, M. S., Kazi, T. & Salmon, P. M. (2007). Changing drivers’ minds: The evaluation of an advanced driver coaching system. Ergonomics 50 (8) 1209-1234.

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2.  Hoinville, G,Berthoud, R,Mackie, AM (1972). A study of accident rates amongst motorists who passed or failed on advanced driving test. UK Transport Research Laboratory. Report Reference LR499

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Please be aware that ADA's availability for public courses in any given city will depend upon how many people in that area wish to book a course and we must reserve the right to cancel planned courses in any location if insufficient people are going to attend.

Send mail to info@advanceddrivers.com with questions or comments about this web site.
All contents – including text, logos, artwork and photographs – are copyright © 2010 Advanced Drivers of America and/or Eddie Wren, unless stated otherwise.  Website last modified on 07-May-2012.