Mechanical or tyre failures account for a tiny proportion of accidents. Most accidents - around 95 per cent - are caused by human error. Road safety ultimately depends on the skill and responsibility of everyone who drives. The motto of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), which was formed in 1956 to work for higher standards of driving, is 'skill with responsibility'.

"Drivers who have passed the Advanced Driving Test
have a 50-70 per cent lower accident rate than the average driver"

Advanced driving is based on a set of fundamental principles which guide every action you ever take behind the wheel of a car. As an advanced driver, you control your car with precision, you drive with intense concentration and awareness, you anticipate danger and mistakes from other drivers, and you always leave a comfortable margin for safety. This does not mean that you drive at a snail's pace, forever anxious about the next danger to appear in your path.

Advanced drivers are confident and decisive, but never reckless. They are enthusiastic about driving and make better progress than most drivers, choosing carefully the moments when they overtake and searching for chances to move unobtrusively through traffic. They tend to he ahead of the game without anyone else noticing. If you play a sport, you constantly aim to improve your performance and play more competitively without breaking the rules. If you are ambitious at work, you pour immense energy into fulfilling challenges and achieving promotion. Why not put the same quest for high standards into your driving?

Advanced driving is all about achieving, for your own and everyone's good. It can bring enormous satisfaction, as well as having such a significant effect on safety that some insurers offer substantial discounts if you pass the Advanced Driving Test. Statistics compiled by the Transport Research Laboratory show that IAM members - all of whom have passed the Advanced Driving Test - have a 25 percent lower accident rate than candidates who fail, and a 50-70 percent better record than the average driver. IAM members not only have fewer accidents, but those in which they are involved tend to be less serious.