The path to Master

IAM Lincolnshire’s newest National Observer, Stephen Johnson, 23, writes about his experience of completing the IAM RoadSmart Masters course. The Masters standard offers the ultimate driving challenge for civilian drivers and is seen as the highest standard of civilian driving in the country.

You pay your fee to IAM RoadSmart and get allocated a mentor (you can also choose a mentor if you have one in mind before you sign up).

You receive your logbook and a copy of Roadcraft… as the course is based on Roadcraft.

You get 6 sessions and when you are ready, your mentor will put you in for test – the sessions tend to be around 2 hours in length.

Starting from the beginning, I set my self the target of achieving Masters in both car and motorbike before I turned 25! I was told on many occasions that I was crazy to even think that was possible… one of my most favourite things to do is to prove people wrong!

After passing IAM RoadSmart’s standard Advanced Driver Test test in April 2023, I spent some time deliberating whether it was time to go for Masers or not. After 2-3 months I concluded that I don’t regret.

I signed up, got assigned Ash as my mentor. Each session was great, fun and engaging. Developing each aspect of advance driving every session. Sometimes giving me a headache, through trying to process what I was being told.

I am very self-aware, knowing my strengths and learning style. This plays into my favour when trying to develop my skillset. Part of this comes from Autism, and my inner desire to fixate onto something until I “Master” it. With other activities I enjoy, I like to apply the technique to within an inch of its life. White water kayaking, chess, computer, Connect 4, motorbiking, electronic/electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, engines, CHP’s, hand writing, coaching, Taekwondo (Black belt), all of which I have applied myself in – in a varied short to medium space of time to achieve what most would consider to be abnormal. Advanced driving, to me, is no different!

Building on from the standard advanced, the key aspects I focused on to start with were:

• IPSGA – separating brakes from gears, apart from where appropriate to overlap
• Observations – as far as you can see and back, in all directions
• Smooth use of controls inside the car. Making my inputs meaningful and not unnecessary
• OAP and TUG throughout the drive mixing in SVS, and SLAP where appropriate.

I was lucky enough at the time of signing up, that I was working 30 mins east of Peterborough which is 2 hours from home. I saw this as an opportunity to dedicate the drive there on my first day of shift, and on the way home… purely to practice and developing my own skill set. Taking the pressure off trying to find the time once I got home! I had 4/5 different routes I choose from, in each direction. A variety of traffic, weather and mindset. This made it challenging and rewarding and allowed me to develop quickly. I think Ash would agree, the rate in which I have picked up all of this, and other things at the same time was quick.

Part of my role at work was to respond to call outs at any given time in the night. For this I had to drive from my flat in Wisbech to site – a 15-20 minute drive straight after waking up. Most people wouldn’t think of anything worse but I couldn’t imagine anything better! Providing the perfect opportunity to test human factors into my driving in a very real-world scenario! I quite enjoyed this, and in some ways, I miss it… On the other hand it is quite nice to not get abruptly woken at absurd hours of the night. It was basically babysitting a power plant. 

Going back to the driving, I thought I had done enough work towards Masters. Myself, Ash, and Geoff were in agreement that I was ready, so I booked the test. I took the National Observer Assessment and Masters test on the same day. Looking back on it, that isn’t what I would advise anyone to do on your first run at it. Although I also feel if I had done the Masters on a different day separately, it would actually have been the same outcome as I wasn’t mature enough, my system was not on point, my decision making was not where it needed to be.

That being said, as well as being my own harsher critic, I am actually happy and content with failing first time round as if I had passed first time, there would have been a great deal still to develop! It showed me what I needed to work on further… mainly system, OAPDA, TUG, but also my own mindset. To be able to control my mind, to stay relaxed, calm, focussed, ready to react, keeping to a state of measurable confidence and relaxation.

For my re-test, I spent 7 months – not annoyed and arrogant, why did I not pass.. I am good enough, so why did it not happen? Almost visible confusion, and dishonesty to myself.

Instead, I embraced the feedback, and made a plan of action... what was I going to do to hit my target? So, I did exactly that.

• System… this needed work
• Smoothness – this needed work
• Over acceleration – this needed work
• Linking observations, anticipation, to make a plan. What can I see? What can’t I see, but can reasonably expect to happen. What am I going to do about it?
• Slowing down my gear changes, rev matching to within an inch of its life… making this as smooth as possible
• Acceleration sense
• 3 stage braking – both ‘dynamic’ and ‘chauffeuristic’
• Balancing progress and restraint
• Spoken thought

There was more, but that list is long enough for the purpose of this!

Working through the plan, I had many drives to many different places. Notably going to Wales on purpose there and back, off the cuff I might add, just to get in the required practise I thought was appropriate. I did other drives, randomly at no particular given time to really nail everything.

I also spent a weekend in Penrith, spending some time with Reg Local while I was there. This was an exhilarating experience which I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to further their skills. He has a lot to offer. 

I did just 5 days before my retest, which polished it all up. Giving me an end product to deliver on test day.

The day of the test was a cloudy, dry, typical English day. I set off on a warmup route around Mexborough, this was excellent. Really got me in the mood. I arrived at our meeting point early, and so did Steve. The test began there and then. Driving out of the car park, I was calm relaxed and ready for it. Driving my drive, the way I wanted to – to Roadcraft, to the way I had perfected.

It started great, no hiccups to start with, turning right up a narrow twisty road, not suitable for HGVs. demonstrating all my available knowledge throughout the drive. Keeping it consistent, not doing anything stupid, not trying anything new on the test. Driving with precision and purpose with intent. It was great fun, enjoying every minute of it. Reading the road effectively, delivering a flowing drive with everything executed on time, every time. I just wanted to be better than last time around.

There were a few distinct moments on test, 2 very different overtakes, refusing overtakes, a double give way, national speed limit – regular lamp posts, national speed limit in a built up area where I struggled to hit 30mph, hidden speed limits, a lot of mandatory 20mph, hole in the wall – which you drive through... that was awesome.

We got back to the meeting place, I was told I had passed, all 1’s – and I am struggling to find anything to critique. That was the icing on the cake, I had worked so hard on everything, I had nailed everything on the day also. With a celebratory ‘F’ yeah’ (I don’t swear often at all, but so much had gone into making this happen).

I measured my heart rate on the first test throughout the drive via my watch... and I was between 80-100 most of the duration, peaking at 112. Where this now becomes interesting to me, is during my retest, my heart rate was between 45-55 throughout the test duration, peaking at 62.

With my normal resting heart rate around 40-50… to me, this speaks volumes.

I want to keep improving, to stay at this level, and hopefully do something like blue light driving with exemptions down the road. Completing this has open a fair few doors! 

Looking for my next challenge, but I want to be better than I was yesterday… I know my skillset, what I am good at, what I find challenging, what I find easy or really, really hard. By embracing, accepting, and not forcing anything I will keep on going.

It’s quite entertaining in my own head to be called “insane, incredible, precise” and also to be told in a complimentary way “you should not be sat in that seat” brings me a great deal of satisfaction.

“All in all, the ability of a master, is measured by their ability to balance the conscious and unconscious mind in complete harmony.”

Stephen Johnson
National Observer, IAM Lincolnshire