"Steve Mann was a very pleasant young member of our Group. In his early twenties he was a Gold grade driver and was working towards his Advanced bike test when he was tragically killed on his way to work. Annie Haywood, our President, had observed him on a Sunday drive only a few days before the accident and had been most impressed both with his excellent driving and his enthusiasm. Annie was devastated at this tragic loss of a young life through no fault of his own.

Some while later Annie proposed to our Committee that we set up a competition between the IAM and RoSPA local groups as Steve had been a keen member of both. With the full approval of the committee, Annie organised the first event and invited Gill and Bob Mann, Steve’s parents, and his sister Lisa to go along. It was some nine months after Steve’s death but was still a very emotional event.

The Competition consists of an observed drive and questions from the Highway Code and Roadcraft, usually followed by refreshments.

Since then other local groups concerned with safe driving have also been invited to take part and Bob, Gill and Lisa have continued to support the event both in person and by providing a trophy to be awarded to the winners. The event is organised each year by the Group who won it the previous year. We seem to have organised it quite a few times!

Last year Bob and Gill announced that they would be standing down as the family representatives but Lisa would continue to support the event. Unfortunately this year was fraught with organisational problems and we were unable to contact Lisa. However, having won yet again, we hope to get our act together for next year and contact Lisa in good time."

The Steve Mann Challenge is a safe driving competition run between the advanced driving groups based in the West Midlands in honour of a young man, Steve Mann, who was a member of Birmingham IAM and RoSPA Advanced Drivers WMG. Unfortunately Steve was killed in a motor-cycle accident whilst still in his twenties. The "competition" was established to commemorate Steve’s life and to promote safer driving among the younger members of the local driving groups.

In September 2007 RoSPA Advanced Drivers, West Midlands Group, had the honour of winning the Steve Mann Trophy for the year. As such it fell to us to organise the 2008 event which took place on Sunday June 8th.

In the last couple of years the event has been run from Shirley, and as such it was felt that a change in location was in order. This year's event was, therefore, run from Lichfield IAM’s base in Fradley Village Hall.

Unfortunately, two groups had to withdraw at the last minute and only four competitors were available on the day.

The day itself was beautiful and sunny, which is not always a good thing for driving due to glare and shade making it difficult at times to see as clearly as you can on a slightly overcast day.

Each competitor had to drive two routes and answer 10 Highway Code questions and 10 advanced driving questions. The total scores for each "event" would then be added together and the person with the highest score announced as the year's winner.

The two routes were varied with one being more open road and the other being more urban and country lane. The open route took people down various A roads, and a couple of Bs, from Fradley all the way to Burton on Trent. A little drive through Burton followed, with a quick sprint back to base down the A38.

The second route was a quick sprint down the A38 to Lichfield. What followed was a varied urban route through Lichfield, including your favourite "speed cushions" in a 20 zone. Once this was completed a country drive on B roads followed with a small urban section in Fradley at the end.

Various comments were made about the routes, especially the 20 zone and its suspension friendly road surface, but overall everyone found them interesting.

The driving part of the competition ended with some very close scores, and people then had to put their minds to the questions. As always the Highway Code seems to cause more problems than the advanced driving questions, much more to choose from I suppose. This resulted in a change of leader due to the close nature of the scoring.

In the end the scores were extremely close, with the overall standard of driving this year much higher than last year. Last year 5 points separated the top two drivers, this year only 3 points separated the top three drivers.

Indeed, the scores were so high that even the lowest scoring driver this year scored more than the third placed driver last year. It is unfortunate that only one person can be declared the winner, especially when the scores are so close, but one it has to be. The final results were:

1	Robin Dellbridge	Kidderminster IAM
2	Richard Smith	RoSPA WMG
3	Sarah Hickie	BADIs

The awards were presented by Lisa Burke, Steve’s sister, and followed by a buffet lunch.

I would like to thank all participants for turning up. Special thanks also go to those who helped to ensure the day ran without major hiccups. Events like this can only succeed with the help and goodwill of people who give up their time to assist in the running and this includes examiners, navigators and supporters. My thanks to you all.

As winners of this year’s event, next year’s event will be run by Kidderminster IAM group, and we look forward to participating in that competition.

On Sunday 2nd September the annual Steve Mann Challenge trophy was held in Shirley. The 2007 challenge was run by RoSPA WMG as the winners of last years trophy. The challenge itself is run in honour of Steve Mann, a RoSPA and IAM advanced motorist who was tragically killed in a road accident aged 22 in 1996.

The challenge is aimed at young drivers from Midlands motoring groups with aim of improving driving standards in a friendly competitive environment.

This year's two routes were written by Barry Burnett (2001's winner), with questions collated by Adrian Pettitt. One route was more urban and one more rural. Both had a large element of running commentary which taxed all drivers. All drivers were obliged to complete both routes. The weather on the day was overcast with some intermittent light rain, a reasonable day for driving.

Once again the drive showed the high standards of driving among the groups that participated this year. Indeed, so close was the driving that the top two positioned drivers after the drives were on level pegging. In the end the scores were separated by the written questions with the difference between the top two drivers being just 5 points in the end. With the results being:

1	David Yan	RoSPA WMG
2	Oliver Jeavons	Walsall IAM
3	Constantine Brown	BADIs

This difference could be down to the fact that the Police Drivers handbook that half of the questions were taken from is slightly different to the handbook that IAM drivers use. As such it may be necessary to review the questions in future.

Due to fact that RoSPA WMG has retained the Steve Mann trophy we will be running the Steve Mann 2008 challenge. As such I am now looking out for full members under 30 who would be interested in taking part in next year's challenge. We are thinking about changing next year's challenge timing to occur in June, after consultation with other local groups. If you are interested in participating please let the chairman know via email preferably.

Adrian Pettitt
Chairman RoSPA WMG.

From left, Gemma Luckman from Solihull Advanced Motorists, this year's youngest competitor; Constantine Brown from Birmingham ADIs; and Oliver Jeavons, from Walsall Advanced Motorists.

"After the heavy rain and blustery winds of the previous day, Sunday September 3rd proved to be the total opposite with warm, unbroken sunshine the whole day.

The day got off to a slightly jittery start when the Shelly Farm Community Centre doors remained obstinately locked until the Centre Chairperson, having been got out of bed following a barrage of frantic phone calls, made a belated and somewhat sheepish appearance.

However, once inside, tables and chairs appeared from all directions and tea & coffee was soon on stream (accompanied by the ever present McVitie’s chocolate digestives without which no advanced driver would ever consider getting behind the wheel of a car) thanks to the sterling work of Ann & Lindsay from Stratford IAM.

Route 1 route took the seven competitors out through Solihull to Knowle and Balsall Common where a tricky right turn took them on to a series of narrow unclassified roads before rejoining the A4141 at Chadwick End for the return journey through Dorridge. Given the downpours of the previous day I think everyone was relieved that the route turned right just before the ford!

Route 2 took the A34 across the M42 where it skirted around Dorridge and Packwood, swinging back round to cross the A34 again before heading off towards Earlswood along the infamously named ‘Cut Throat Lane’, complete with its concealed crossroads, Y-junction and staggered crossroads with a ‘Stop’ sign all within a few minutes of each other to catch out the unwary - which of course they didn't. Our drivers were made of sterner stuff!

Twenty questions on the Highway Code and Roadcraft (which did trap the unwary) brought the competition to a close followed by lunch and the presentation of prizes by Lisa Burke, Steve’s sister. Bob & Gill Mann were also in attendance, for the last time this year, due to changing personal circumstances. We thank them for their generous support of the event over the years and wish them all the very best in the future.

For the record, ‘podium’ places were as follows:

1	Richard Smith	RoSPA WMG
2	Nick Bartleet	BADIs
3	Ann Merrall	Stratford IAM

I would like to thank all the drivers who, along with their navigators, competed in the event and hope they found it an enjoyable and rewarding day; and to the examiners for giving their time and expertise for yet another year.

Thanks also to my family - Sue, Rachel & Jo - for organising the lunch and putting up with my tetchiness whenever the planning started to resemble the proverbial pear!

Peter Skinner
Event Organiser"

	Steve Mann's sister, Lisa, presents a trophy to Ann Merrall of Stratford IAM, who took third place. Steve's Dad, Bob, looks on.
	Nick Bartleet of BADIs shows off his second place trophy. David Wilkinson, Chairman of RoADAR West Midlands, adds "A perfect second place: winning's easy, but then you have to organise it next year: it's coming second that takes the real skill".
	And the winner is ...   Richard Smith of RoADAR West Midlands.
	Steve's Mum, Gill, watches proceedings.
	Bob explains what the Steve Mann Challenge has meant in the ten years since Steve's death, and why it is time for him and Gill to step back from the event.