Wirral Advanced Motorists are a Registered Charity, number: 512232.

The Wirral Advanced Motorists Group was formed in 1980 having previously been part of Merseyside Group. A Registered Charity run entirely by unpaid volunteers, our main function is to improve driving standards and to advance the cause of Road Safety. We have built up a close liaison with the Police and Road Safety Officers to help achieve this.

Affiliated to the Institute of Advanced Motorists , also a Registered Charity, we are completely self-funding. A free Newsletter is issued to our Members ten times a year and we hold evening events each month except August and December, to which we invite interesting Speakers, when non-members are welcome to visit us at Roundel Club (known also as the RAFA club), 17 Shrewsbury Road Oxton, CH43 1UU. 

Wirral Group works hard to inform local people of the advantages to be gained by becoming an Advanced Motorist. We have attended the Wirral Show for many years and we arrange open days regularly throughout Wirral, when local Supermarkets, Village Fetes, Country Parks and Garden Centres kindly allow us to use their facilities.

Advice and guidance for commercial vehicle drivers is offered and previously companies such as ARCO of Hooton insisted all their drivers pass the Advanced Test through Wirral Group. 

We have speakers who are happy to attend when invited to talk to such groups as Probus, Rotary, women's organisations, car clubs, schools etc, where we explain all that is involved in becoming a Member, through the Group.

How can the Group help me?

We provide one-to-one advice on improving your driving and preparation for the IAM Test. This guidance is given by Observers (someone who has also passed the Advanced Test) who have also completed a training course on that knowledge.  Wirral Advanced Motorists can help you prepare for car, minibus and LGV IAM tests.  Associates and Observers mutually agree on the time/day they meet.

If you are looking for information on motorcycle guidance, there is a separate group.  Their website is www.w-a-m.co.uk.

How much does it cost?

The main route to the Advanced Test is through the IAM Package "Skill for Life" at £139, which is a virtually all inclusive package comprising membership of your local IAM group (such as this one), the book 'How to be a better driver', the Highway Code, group associate handbook and group constitution, a course of guidance/preparation from the local IAM Group to get you to the Test standard, the IAM Test Fee itself, and your first years Associate membership of the IAM and automatic upgrade to full IAM membership when you pass.  

How does the Group Operate?

The Group meets on the last Tuesday of the month (except August and December) for Guest Speakers etc. You can discuss any queries/matters with any of the Group Council Members in attendance. We start at 8.00pm . The venue is: Roundel Club (known also as the RAFA club), 17 Shrewsbury Road Oxton , CH43 1UU .

Existing members of the IAM

If you are already an existing member of the IAM and would like to join Wirral Advanced Motorists, please contact the Membership secretary direct.

Membership of the Institute of Advanced Motorists

The Institute of Advanced Motorists aims to raise the standard of driving by increasing the skill and competence of drivers. The result of a Transport Research Laboratory Report showed that Advanced Motorists have between a 50% and 75% lower accident rate. This is the main, and most significant, benefit of passing the Advanced Driving/Motorcycling Test.

Once drivers have passed the Test, services available to Members include motor insurance, through the IAM Surety Insurance scheme. There are also special offers such as the IAM Car Purchase Plan, breakdown and recovery insurance, an IAM credit card

Members also receive a copy of the colour magazine published three times a year, which has interesting features on driving and other topics, as well as News from the Institute, and special offers for Members.

Membership of the Institute currently stands at over 112,000. Nearly 10,000 people successfully take the Advanced Driving/Motorcycling Test every year. There are also 200 local Groups in the UK who provide a course of preparation, events for their Members, and promote the Institute in their locality, offering the Skill for Life Full Driving/Motorcycling Programme.

The Institute has, since it was founded more than fifty years ago, given hundreds of thousands of motorists and motorcyclists the opportunity to check whether they have the qualities to be better and safer drivers. This has made them more aware, helping them to deal with increasingly difficult situations on today's roads, as well as giving extra protection to themselves and to their passengers, with the added touch of enjoying their driving/riding more.