Motorists who rely on their basic L-test as a motoring "passport for life" are more likely to blame others when they are involved in incidents or minor accidents, according to a key piece of research by Brunel University in West London.
Previous research has shown that drivers who regularly blame others for near-misses instead of taking responsibility for their own part in such incidents are more likely to be involved in fatal road accidents.
The Brunel study, carried out by Professor Neville Stanton, Dr Guy Walker, Dr Tara Kazi and Dr Mark Young shows that drivers who improve their abilities behind the wheel are less likely to "play the blame game" and more likely to read the road and expect the unexpected.
Nearly 70% of drivers who received advanced coaching showed significantly safer skills in a number of key areas, including cornering, gear changing, seating position, safe distances, use of mirrors and speed, according to the scientific comparison of normal and advanced drivers.
The IAM commissioned the study to examine whether advanced coaching can be proven to change drivers' attitudes, skills and knowledge.
"This research shows that motorists who think that simply accumulating years of experience on the road is enough to improve their driving are wrong," said Peter Rodger, IAM Chief Examiner. "What makes the difference is having extra coaching, just as it would be in any other activity.
"Drivers are more likely to blame chance or bad luck, if the only training they've ever had is those early driving lessons. But they're more likely to take responsibility for avoiding and responding to incidents if they've taken the trouble to try to improve their skills later in life.
"In a measure of people's attitude towards whether they believe they are controlled by luck or chance, or have 'self' control over their actions - normal drivers score 60% worse than drivers with advanced coaching, and show significantly more of the attitude that previous research has shown to be implicated in involvement in fatal accidents."

Copies of this report are available on request from IAM House.  Tel: 0208 996 9600