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Swansea Bay Advanced Motorists

Swansea Bay Group of Advanced Motorists (SBGAM) aims to promote the improvement of driving and the advancement of road safety.

SBGAM are entirely voluntary, preparing candidates for the IAM’s Advanced Driving Test.  We have an active membership who enjoy safe driving, and partake in a number of social activities throughout the year

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Driving a new car: tips from IAM RoadSmart

Buying a brand new car is something that many dream of.  Although “running in” a car is not so critical today as it was in times gone by, there are a few things to bear in mind as you drive your shiny new pride and joy away from the showroom. This week’s tips give advice on driving a new car, from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman.

  • Allow the brakes to bed in. Start driving gently and avoiding harsh accelerating and braking heavily. Tyres will also last longer if treated gently for the first few hundred miles
  • Check the coolant levels and oil frequently. The oil consumption may be relatively high for the first 5,000 miles as the engine parts gradually loosen up, but it should then settle down
  • If possible, avoid long runs at constant engine speed for the first 1,000 miles or so. Varying the engine speed helps the parts to start working together over the full speed range
  • Fuel consumption will also gradually improve as the moving parts wear in, so don’t be too disappointed if your first tankful doesn’t take you as far as you hoped. It is quite normal for mpg to increase gradually over several thousand miles

Richard said: “Buying a new car is exciting, but it is also a substantial investment.  Treating it with a little restraint to begin with will help all the parts to perform at their best for longer and more reliably. This will also help you get the feel of the car before you fully exploit the performance.”

 

Notes to editors:

  1. Richard Gladman is IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards.
  2. IAM RoadSmart has a mission to make better drivers and riders in order to improve road safety, inspire confidence and make driving and riding enjoyable. It does this through a range of courses for all road users, from online assessments through to the advanced driving and riding tests. IAM RoadSmart is the trading name of all businesses operated by the UK’s largest road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and was formed in April 2016 combining the IAM, IAM Drive & Survive, PDS and IAM Driver Retraining Academy. The organisation has 92,000 members and campaigns on road safety on their behalf. At any one time there are over 7,000 drivers and riders actively engaged with IAM RoadSmart’s courses, from members of the public to company drivers, while our Driver Retraining Academy has helped 2,500 drivers to shorten their bans through education and support programmes.

To find out more about IAM RoadSmart products and services visit the new website www.iamroadsmart.com

To find out the name of your own local IAM RoadSmart group please visit: https://wwwiamroadsmart.com/local-groups

Further information from:

IAM RoadSmart press office – 020 8996 9777 

press.office@iam.org.uk / www.iamroadsmart.com

ISDN broadcast lines available

Follow us:

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/IAMRoadSmart

On Twitter: @IAMRoadSmart   

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