It’s often easy to forget as advanced drivers that our journey started, as did everyone else’s, as a learner driver.

Driving a van for the first time requires some thought: although they are the same licence group as a car, there are some real differences which could catch you out. This week’s tips give advice to all those planning on driving a van for the first time, from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.

You may have read in the past week that Nigel Mansell, IAM RoadSmart President and 1992 Formula 1 World Champion, joined us with his IAM RoadSmart hat on to take part in a feature with The Times and The Sun to offer his advice on driving on the roads over the winter months.

My last blog entry described my journey since passing my IAM test in 1971. In 2015 I’d had a wake-up call, realising my driving skills had slipped badly, and the subsequent few months had been devoted to recovering and improving – all leading to one thing.

Car washing seems to be one of those Marmite topics; some enjoy the simplicity of the task and the instant improvement it produces. Others detest the chore with a vengeance, says Tim Shallcross, IAM RoadSmart head of technical policy.