Speed awareness shenanigans

[miniman]

Typically as I am currently driving the slowest car I've ever owned, I picked up a nice ticket for 34 in a 30 heading into Cardiff, and was offered the speed awareness course. Obviously I was sceptical as to the value of this, but thought I'd give it a go. The ex-traffic plod chap giving the course was great actually; nice guy, honest, realistic. The scary bit was how little some of the other "delegates" knew about the rules, cars, physics and so forth.

• Many people had no idea what the correlation between lampposts and speed limits was
• Many had no idea what constitutes a dual carriageway
• One mid-20s girl wearing a mix of Barbour, Joules and Hackett was blatantly fetching horses around with a Range Rover with no idea that she wasn't supposed to
• Question: "would you recommend switching off traction control? Would that be safer?"
• Half the room had no idea that there were different length and spaced road markings
• No-one had heard of "SMIDSY"
• No-one had heard of the two-second rule
• No-one had a clue that you have to drive slower when towing
• Half the room couldn't draw a Give Way sign
• Several couldn't identify a NSL sign

The majority of the course wasn't about speed, it was about driving adequately, which is admirable. As a mechanism to nab bad drivers and educate them a bit, it was actually ok. Shame that the basic level of driver education is so low to start with though.

[Nigel Worc's]

34 in a 30, are you sure, as if you are and can prove it, we may be able to get your fine paid for you ?

LoonR1, get your wallet ready ................ or perhaps not.

[HTP99]

The girl fetching horses with a Range Rover; haven't a clue what you mean?!

"SMIDSY"?

Different length road markings; wasn't aware of this.

Edited by HTP99 on Sunday 16th November 20:39

[Nigel Worc's]

miniman said:

Typically as I am currently driving the slowest car I've ever owned, I picked up a nice ticket for 34 in a 30 heading into Cardiff, and was offered the speed awareness course. Obviously I was sceptical as to the value of this, but thought I'd give it a go. The ex-traffic plod chap giving the course was great actually; nice guy, honest, realistic. The scary bit was how little some of the other "delegates" knew about the rules, cars, physics and so forth.

• Many people had no idea what the correlation between lampposts and speed limits was
• Many had no idea what constitutes a dual carriageway
• One mid-20s girl wearing a mix of Barbour, Joules and Hackett was blatantly fetching horses around with a Range Rover with no idea that she wasn't supposed to
• Question: "would you recommend switching off traction control? Would that be safer?"
• Half the room had no idea that there were different length and spaced road markings
• No-one had heard of "SMIDSY"
• No-one had heard of the two-second rule
• No-one had a clue that you have to drive slower when towing
• Half the room couldn't draw a Give Way sign
• Several couldn't identify a NSL sign

The majority of the course wasn't about speed, it was about driving adequately, which is admirable. As a mechanism to nab bad drivers and educate them a bit, it was actually ok. Shame that the basic level of driver education is so low to start with though.

You know, as strange as this may seem, and I have ridden since 1977, I didn't know what a smidsy was until I found internet forums.

I also didn't know about different length center hazard warning lines until I did my advanced.

I think I knew the two second rule, pre advanced, I seem to remember tv adverts, give way and nsl signs I knew, driving slower than car speed limits when towing with a car I also knew.

There you go, you must realise that driving is about getting from a to b for a lot of people.

[Nigel Worc's]

HTP99 said:

"SMIDSY"?

Sorry mate I didn't see you , supposedly said to motorcyclists after cars have supposedly knocked them off, never heard it myself.

Why anyone would expect others to just know that I've no idea.

[HTP99]

Nigel Worc's said:

HTP99 said:

"SMIDSY"?

Sorry mate I didn't see you , supposedly said to motorcyclists after cars have supposedly knocked them off, never heard it myself.

Why anyone would expect others to just know that I've no idea.

Still none the wiser, what's they got to do with a speed awareness course?!

[Nigel Worc's]

HTP99 said:

Nigel Worc's said:

HTP99 said:

"SMIDSY"?

Sorry mate I didn't see you , supposedly said to motorcyclists after cars have supposedly knocked them off, never heard it myself.

Why anyone would expect others to just know that I've no idea.

Still none the wiser, what's they got to do with a speed awareness course?!

I know what you mean, and I share your feelings, we call microfarads puffs in my game (a measurement of capacitance), it is jargon and just as relevant to a speed awareness course.

[Johnnytheboy]

I found the same thing on my course recently.

The lack of basic road knowledge was terrifying.

I'd say most of the people there had no idea what the limit was where they were done.

I knew what I was doing wrong at least.

[miniman]

HTP99 said:

The girl fetching horses with a Range Rover; haven't a clue what you mean?!

Had passed her test after 1997, and was unaware that this meant that there were restrictions as to what she could tow. I'm reinforcing stereotypes terribly here, but her demeanour and dress suggested that she was perhaps regularly towing a horsebox.

[ging84]

Nigel Worc's said:

LoonR1, get your wallet ready ................ or perhaps not.

He's gone
some say he was banned, other's say he's hiding out from all the people he owes £100 to

[Mk3Spitfire]

ging84 said:

He's gone
some say he was banned, other's say he's hiding out from all the people he owes £100 to

There are certain code words involving insurance that seem to always bring him out of hiding...I just can't think what they are now.

[Vipers]

HTP99 said:

Nigel Worc's said:

HTP99 said:

"SMIDSY"?

Sorry mate I didn't see you , supposedly said to motorcyclists after cars have supposedly knocked them off, never heard it myself.

Why anyone would expect others to just know that I've no idea.

Still none the wiser, what's they got to do with a speed awareness course?!

Never heard of it.

[ging84]

Mk3Spitfire said:

There are certain code words involving insurance that seem to always bring him out of hiding...I just can't think what they are now.

You're right, he came back on Thursday
I knew he couldn't stay away, he'll be back and hopefully can sort out the 30+ page of quotes within quotes within quotes within quotes rumbling on about someone being hit running out into a zebra crossing

[Toltec]

Nigel Worc's said:

I know what you mean, and I share your feelings, we call microfarads puffs in my game (a measurement of capacitance), it is jargon and just as relevant to a speed awareness course.

I always called those mikes and picoFarads puffs.

[heebeegeetee]

Nigel Worc's said:

Sorry mate I didn't see you , supposedly said to motorcyclists after cars have supposedly knocked them off, never heard it myself.

Why anyone would expect others to just know that I've no idea.

Also used frequently on this forum, I even used it myself last week.

Then blow me, the very next thread I move on to and there it is being used again, at 21.25.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Edited by heebeegeetee on Sunday 16th November 21:54

[Stoofa]

ging84 said:

He's gone
some say he was banned, other's say he's hiding out from all the people he owes £100 to

Nah - he wouldn't be hiding out, there is still nobody who has actually proved a ticket for 34/35mph in a 30 yet.

[Nigel Worc's]

Stoofa said:

ging84 said:

He's gone
some say he was banned, other's say he's hiding out from all the people he owes £100 to

Nah - he wouldn't be hiding out, there is still nobody who has actually proved a ticket for 34/35mph in a 30 yet.

35 is proved and common.

West Mercia for example use the 10% + 2 to mean they issue at 35.

It is below 35 that isn't.

[DrDoofenshmirtz]

I hope you weren't the annoying one constantly engaging in discussion thus dragging out the course, when everyone just wants to go home?
If so, people there really DID want to kill you!

[Sheepshanks]

miniman said:

The scary bit was how little some of the other "delegates" knew about the rules, cars, physics and so forth.

Everyone with an interest in cars and driving who goes on an SAC says the same thing. Probably it's the most useful of the course as it makes you realise just how clueless everyone around you on the road is about driving matters.

On the one my daughter went on, a "pro" van driver didn't know vans were subject to different speed limits.


I too would be interested to see paperwork that says "34".

[Who me ?]

Nigel Worc's said:

I also didn't know about different length center hazard warning lines until I did my advanced.

I think I knew the two second rule, pre advanced, I seem to remember tv adverts, give way and nsl signs I knew, driving slower than car speed limits when towing with a car I also knew.

It's actually lanes and lines markings- HC rule 127 -132. See https://www.gov.uk/general-rules-all-drivers-rider...
BUT, any decent driver worth his/her salt ,will drive by reading the road /road signs/road markings.

The two second rule , like all other numeric things in driving ,only is of use in optimum conditions,in similar vehicles with all equipment in both ( especially the following one) in tiptop condition. It also relies on the following driver having similar reflexes to the one ahead, or by the following driver looking ahead of the car in front.