Advanced driving courses - Anyone done this?

[Hexate]

Hey carbies,

Anyone done one of the advanced driving courses from the likes of VW, Mercedes, BMW, etc?

What was your experience like? Was it worth it? Did your insurance decrease?

Thanks,

 

[goldfritter]

I did the VW GTI one, someone gifted it to me. Was entertaining and you do learn some stuff about car control.

Insurance didn't decrease, probably because I never told my insurance about it lol.

But if I am not mistaken the "certification" you get for your insurance only lasts a year? Might be worth confirming that before investing.

Overall I'd say it's worth doing it at least once if you're interested in cars and driving.

 

[SteveIndeed]

Important consideration: it's usually best to do advanced driving in your own car because (real "No shit, Sherlock" revelation, this) you're likely to be driving your own car when you need to use the techniques and skills you learned on the course.

Catch-22: you don't want to use your own car because you're putting unnecessary strain on it and it's unlikely that your insurance will cover you while you're participating in any kind of motorsports or track-driving.

 

[TheJudge]

Hey carbies,

Anyone done one of the advanced driving courses from the likes of VW, Mercedes, BMW, etc

I think that's the course that teaches the use of indicators.

Seriously though I looked at doing one but only for fun, didn't note any particular benefit listed in the descriptions re insurance etc.

 

[cdmnuy]

I did the BMW one and insurance did consider it.

 

[disipher]

I think that's the course that teaches the use of indicators.

Seriously though I looked at doing one but only for fun, didn't note any particular benefit listed in the descriptions re insurance etc.

not the BMW one.

 

[igg]

I did the BMW one (you use their cars); insurance didn't care.
Some of the driving parts were entertaining, the talking part not so much, and I found some of the "advice" to be questionable.

 

[aiccc]

There are different types of advanced driver courses.

I did the
smiths one and (renewed every 2 years, opt health check)
the high speed driving course and
the track course held by a local legend.

The accredited ones are focused on safer driving. I.e crash avoidance.

The drive faster courses are not recognised for insurance reduction. The insurance will only reduce for a nominated driver type policy. For me the hassle was not worth the small reduction in premium. Sanlam gave me a discount.

 

[wesleydn]

I have done
-VW defensive driving
-Advanced Driving
-Tactical driving
-Going next month for defensive driving again at a different company.

All have thier benifits and are all great. Learnt different things fro meach of them and drive acording to what im doing

 

[HButton]

I do the JHB Central once a week. Many teachers in the actual field, just missing my monkey wrench to change my steering wheel.

Jk jk, I also want to do some courses. Honestly don't think the insurance cares, for example if your car is not white it is a risk for them, and on and on and on they go with different reasons and measures. Have reasons for days for it not to go down. Unless you swap to a new insurer once a year.

 

[aiccc]

 

[madness_inc]

Done the BMW one twice, insurance didn't care

 

[EKD Online (Pty) Ltd]

Shouldn't your insurance increase here ? Drifting into a parallel parking at your local spar must give some brownie points ?

It's like doing your gun licence and once you get a bad KD score on modern warefare, then the popo takes your gun licence away from you.

 

[Valheru]

I have done
-VW defensive driving
-Advanced Driving
-Tactical driving
-Going next month for defensive driving again at a different company.

All have thier benifits and are all great. Learnt different things fro meach of them and drive acording to what im doing

How much did the courses cost?

 

[PHalanKS]

Did the bmw one. Got shouted at by the instructor after taking the first corner too aggressively for his liking, which sort of soured the whole thing.

Just looked up the email from my insurance broker and she said it would be applicable but I was already on the max discount available. This was with santam.