MY WORRIES FOR ''HAMSTER''
06 December 2006 - IAM Institute of Advanced Motorists

....by World Land Speed Record Holder

Wing Commander Andy Green, the world land speed record holder, today (Wednesday 6 December 2006) spoke at the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) of the concerns he had felt earlier this year when BBC Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond was nearly killed.

''We were all relieved to hear that he was going to be alright and, having spoken to him last week, I''m delighted that he''s making a great recovery. His accident was a stark reminder, though, that things can go wrong despite the most painstaking of safety precautions,'' he said.

Speaking at the IAM''s 50th Anniversary Annual Lunch in London, Wing Commander Green said: ''There are broader lessons for us all too when we think about extremes of speed. It is not speed - as such - that causes road crashes. It is inappropriate speed, at the wrong time and in the wrong circumstances,'' he said.

Wing Commander Green - an IAM member since 1998 - also revealed that at times he felt more vulnerable on the roads network than when he was preparing for the world land speed record in the Nevada Desert.

''A group of professionals preparing for the world record, working well together, have an immensely reassuring effect for the man at the wheel. But in everyday driving, of course, you don''t have that luxury. You never know who is coming around the bend ahead of you, or how fully in control they are. That''s why I am a firm believer in defensive driving,'' he said.

Wing Commander Green was introduced by IAM President Nigel Mansell and John Maxwell, IAM Chairman who reflected on the IAM''s 50th anniversary year and outlined its strategy for the future.

The IAM has more than 113,000 members, all of whom have taken and passed an advanced driving test.

www.iam.org.uk

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