Drive With Andy · Advanced driving journal
RoSPA advanced driving
in Lincolnshire
Why join and take the test?
From a winding road in the Lincolnshire Wolds to a busy junction in Lincoln, driving gives us plenty to think about. Joining a RoSPA advanced driving group offers an opportunity to develop your skills, receive constructive feedback and work towards a worthwhile personal achievement.
The roads we share
Why advanced driving makes sense in Lincolnshire
A familiar journey can still bring an unfamiliar situation. Around Market Rasen, Louth, Caistor and the Wolds villages, a bend may conceal a cyclist, a farm entrance or a queue behind a tractor. Elsewhere, a town-centre roundabout or a journey on the A15 or A46 presents a different set of decisions.
Consider following a slow vehicle on a country road. Seeing an opportunity to pass is only part of the task. You also need to consider the view ahead, possible turnings, following traffic and how the situation could change. Sometimes the most thoughtful decision is to create space and wait. Advanced driving gives you a framework for examining decisions like these.
What is RoSPA advanced driving?
RoSPA is the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Its advanced driving and riding community, often called RoADAR, brings together people interested in developing their road skills. Local groups provide support and tutoring for drivers preparing for the advanced test.
The approach draws on Roadcraft: The Police Driver's Handbook and The Highway Code. You develop your ability to gather information, anticipate what might happen and put a suitable plan into action. That includes choosing appropriate positions, speeds and gears, while adapting to other people and changing conditions.
You can explore the approach in RoSPA's advanced car test guidelines.
Skills for everyday journeys
Five practical benefits of developing your driving
1. Notice useful information earlier
An indicator, a closing view or movement near a gateway can all matter. The useful question is what that information means for your next decision. Earlier observation gives you an opportunity to prepare, rather than arriving at a situation with several things to do at once.
On a Wolds lane, for example, spotting a horse and rider in the distance gives you time to consider your approach and the needs of everyone involved.
2. Make your control smoother and more deliberate
There is satisfaction in a drive where braking, steering and acceleration work together comfortably. Feedback can help you recognise unnecessary corrections or rushed changes. That is useful whether you drive a manual, an automatic or an electric car.
A settled approach to a bend starts with the decisions made before reaching it. The aim is to choose a suitable speed and course while retaining the ability to respond to something unexpected.
3. Build confidence through understanding
Confidence is more useful when you can explain the reasoning behind it. You might feel comfortable with town driving but less certain on an unfamiliar rural road. A constructive discussion about your observations and choices can help identify something specific to practise.
It also gives you permission to question a familiar habit. Being willing to change your mind is a valuable part of continuing to learn.
4. Create a calmer experience for passengers
Passengers notice late braking, abrupt steering and repeated changes of pace. Looking further ahead and preparing earlier can help make a journey feel more predictable. A useful personal question is whether your passengers could understand what you are about to do from the way you approach a situation.
5. Get a fresh perspective on everyday habits
Years behind the wheel provide experience, but we rarely get detailed feedback on our own driving. Someone observing your usual approach may notice a strength worth developing or a habit you have stopped questioning.
That feedback can make a routine drive interesting again. You have something concrete to work on and a way to reflect on the result.
Support, feedback and a goal
The value of joining a local RoSPA group
Learning alongside people who share an interest in driving can be motivating. The Lincolnshire RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders group offers one-to-one coaching using your own vehicle.
RoSPA's national guidance explains that local tutoring is provided by trained volunteers and arranged around availability. There is a local membership charge, while the tutoring itself is offered without a training fee. Contact the group about current arrangements and tutor availability in your area.
For drivers in and around Lincoln, Louth, Market Rasen, Caistor or Brookenby, the local group is a useful starting point. If you live elsewhere in the county or near its boundaries, RoSPA's group-finding information can help you explore a convenient option.
What do you gain from taking the advanced driving test?
The test gives your preparation a clear goal and an independent assessment. Successful drives receive a Bronze, Silver or Gold grade, and you receive feedback on your performance.
The examiner considers your handling of the situations encountered, alongside your knowledge of driving principles. Preparation involves understanding your decisions and applying the skills consistently. Your tutor can help you judge when you are ready to apply.
A certificate is a satisfying achievement. The longer-term value is having a clearer picture of your strengths and the areas you want to keep developing.
Why the three-year retest matters
RoADAR membership includes a requirement to retest every three years. It provides a regular opportunity to revisit your driving and receive further feedback. RoSPA lists the standard three-yearly retest among the benefits available to members whose subscriptions are maintained, alongside its magazine and member benefits platform.
See RoSPA's current membership information for the details.
Getting started
What does joining cost?
Local group membership, the initial advanced test and ongoing national RoADAR membership are separate charges. Ordinary vehicle and travel costs also remain yours. Check the Lincolnshire group's current fee information and confirm the applicable charges before joining or booking a test.
Is advanced driving suitable for newer drivers?
Once you have your full licence, advanced driving can give you a direction for further development. Learners can also benefit from the underlying ideas: thoughtful observation, good planning, consideration and reflection all belong in learning from the start. Group tutoring and the advanced test are a further step after gaining your licence.
If you have been driving for decades, you can bring that experience to the process too. The useful starting point is an interest in learning and a willingness to consider feedback.
Always learning
My perspective as a Lincolnshire driving instructor
I live in the Lincolnshire Wolds and work as a driving instructor. My police response training gave me a foundation that I have continued to refine, and I hold RoSPA Gold. I also serve on the Lincolnshire RoSPA group's committee.
For me, continuing development keeps driving purposeful. There is always another decision worth reflecting on, another explanation to improve or another habit to review. That is an approach I want to encourage in learners and experienced drivers alike.