Speed Awareness Course
Discussion
cerb4.5lee said:
I've always thought that if you're going to speed then you may as well do it properly like my brother in law did years ago. I was sat alongside him in his Astra GSi and he got radared at 84mph in a 30mph area racing his mate in his Astra GTE! We had 3 Volvo T5's come chasing after us, and the copper showed us the radar gun showing the 84mph!
They both got banned for a year and fined £600, and they had to take an extended retest too. I don't think my 35mph in a 30mph area was trying hard enough really in comparison.
Extended restest?They both got banned for a year and fined £600, and they had to take an extended retest too. I don't think my 35mph in a 30mph area was trying hard enough really in comparison.
You sure the offence was speeding?
eldar said:
As you've done more than one, they can't be that effective
A decade apart. We can't stay saints forever. (Or rather we all slip up sometimes)I'd say what they have made me do is calm down on the road. Time was I'd exceed the margin by a potentially licence losing amount. I absolutely would not do that now, a combination of maturing a bit, higher stakes. But the input of the speed awareness course I did find sobered me up a bit, in terms of risks (very high) Vs rewards (basically none). I get my kicks on track days now.
Edited by WeirdNeville on Monday 1st April 17:02
Mont Blanc said:
Beetnik said:
Thinking is it's unlikely to happen again (based on past record) so with say a 5% loading on insurance premium + cost of fine it's basically 5 minutes admin and £200 vs £100 and a morning/afternoon out of a busy schedule. But if it does then the option of a course may still be available.
I suspect she'll go for the course but useful to know how it might pan out otherwise.
You would have to be insane not to do the course.I suspect she'll go for the course but useful to know how it might pan out otherwise.
I did one and it was only 2-3 hours on Zoom, and I was offered a selection of convenient times. Daytime, evening, weekends etc. I just did mine one afternoon whilst I was working from home.
ked with this for the next four years. Not to mention motorbike premiums - that’s due soon. eldar said:
2022, 1711 road deaths. 5642 suicide deaths. The power of pressure groups.
2020 - 73,766 died due to COVID-19 in England and Wales; https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunit...2021 - 67,350 died due to COVID-19 in England and Wales; https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunit...
2022 - 120,695 people died in England awaiting treatment; https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/aug/30/na...
2023 - 14,000 needless deaths waiting for A&E treatment in England alone; https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/01/en...
So where should we prioritise attention to reduce avoidable deaths? Well it's obvious - cutting the carnage of 1,711 road deaths
bigothunter said:
eldar said:
2022, 1711 road deaths. 5642 suicide deaths. The power of pressure groups.
2020 - 73,766 died due to COVID-19 in England and Wales; https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunit...2021 - 67,350 died due to COVID-19 in England and Wales; https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunit...
2022 - 120,695 people died in England awaiting treatment; https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/aug/30/na...
2023 - 14,000 needless deaths waiting for A&E treatment in England alone; https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/01/en...
So where should we prioritise attention to reduce avoidable deaths? Well it's obvious - cutting the carnage of 1,711 road deaths
vonhosen said:
They spend far more resources in the NHS in attempting to save lives than they spend on roads Policing.
NHS has far greater problems than just budget. It's a mess.All the unnecessary speed cameras installed on motorway gantries consume taxpayers' money. Operating them must be a significant cost too. But I'm sure they earn their keep even if they don't save any lives.
Edited by bigothunter on Tuesday 2nd April 08:04
Dog Star said:
I picked up 3 points for an SP30 last May. For the 3 cars in my “garage” (SL350, SLK350 and Alfa 159) the total insurance renewal this year went from £600 to £900. Of that £200 of the increase was attributable directly to my SP30. (Mrs DS has a clean licence). That’s quite a hike. And I assume we will be getting buttfked with this for the next four years. Not to mention motorbike premiums - that’s due soon.
It would be pretty lucky if your premium only went up £100. The average is supposed to be 40% and many have seen far higher - with no changes at all, renewal on wife’s Karoq was +68%.ked with this for the next four years. Not to mention motorbike premiums - that’s due soon. Sheepshanks said:
It would be pretty lucky if your premium only went up £100. The average is supposed to be 40% and many have seen far higher - with no changes at all, renewal on wife’s Karoq was +68%.
That’s what telling them about the SP30 did at renewal. I did think we had got away lightly apart from that. Got my first SAC on Friday after being caught doing 42 in a 30 (I am normally very careful, but 3 hrs sleep after a night in A&E with my Mother, then driving home half asleep on auto pilot just following the car in front. No excuse though, I was caught bang to rights). I am doing the online course, as we are quite busy at work and I can't really take a full morning off at the moment. Has anyone any experience of it ? I struggle to keep my attention levels up during work Teams / Zoom meetings, so I will have my coffee nearby and a supply of sweets to keep the sugar levels up. I assume there is a break halfway through, as 2.5hrs with no loo break may be a struggle for an old git like me ? Also, do I need to let my insurance company know, or wait until renewal time ? After a spell in my misspent youth of having 6+ points at all time (including a few months on 12 points), I haven't had any for over 20 years now, so a bit gutted I got caught for the sake of having a few more hours sleep.
It was a while ago my wife did an online course and I recall thinking it was a complete joke. There was a break, and I think it took best part of an hour to get everyone in as they have to check driving licences.
IIRC correctly it started at 9 and I'm sure they were finished before 11.30, so the actual interactive part was something like two 40min sessions.
IIRC correctly it started at 9 and I'm sure they were finished before 11.30, so the actual interactive part was something like two 40min sessions.
Sigmamark7 said:
I’ve just contributed £88 to the coffers of my local authority/police force, to go and learn the dismerits of traveling hugely in excess of the speed limit in a modern, well serviced BMW, on an largely empty motorway at 10.30 on a dry and bright Sunday morning. I’m eternally thankful, that this country has abandoned Capital Punishment and that flogging isn’t an approved punishment and that worthy souls are prepared to sit in vans on motorway bridges to bring reckless miscreants such as myself to justice, for the heinous crime of traveling at 80mph. 80 bloody miles per hour - seriously? It’s a wonder that I could still breathe at that speed!!
Hopefully, I’ll manage to say nothing during my SAC and can walk away chastised and probably bitter about how the law works in this country. I might even pop into a small shop on the way home, pick up a few items and walk out without paying, because the chance of anyone doing anything about it, much less the probability of the police coming to see me are so slim, that it isn’t worth considering it as a risk!
Yes I broke the speed limit and yes I know that the law was broken and the law requires me to pay for my error, but I do think that something in the system is broken, when small shops can be raided with impunity by known offenders, but because I tax and insure my car and have correct and clean number plates, I just have to pay up and shut up, because the alternative will just cost me more.
I have to say this conveys better than I could how I feel about this. MInus the shoplifting, but it is tempting now you've mentioned it.Hopefully, I’ll manage to say nothing during my SAC and can walk away chastised and probably bitter about how the law works in this country. I might even pop into a small shop on the way home, pick up a few items and walk out without paying, because the chance of anyone doing anything about it, much less the probability of the police coming to see me are so slim, that it isn’t worth considering it as a risk!
Yes I broke the speed limit and yes I know that the law was broken and the law requires me to pay for my error, but I do think that something in the system is broken, when small shops can be raided with impunity by known offenders, but because I tax and insure my car and have correct and clean number plates, I just have to pay up and shut up, because the alternative will just cost me more.
Having said that when Son 2 went on a pre-emptive SAC (as reccommended by his driving instructor) some years ago I did, as always, learn stuff.
Many of the youngsters on the course (either had just passed their L test or about to take it) had some very elevated views of their own abilities- c'est la vie
Sigmamark7 said:
I’ve just contributed £88 to the coffers of my local authority/police force, to go and learn the dismerits of traveling hugely in excess of the speed limit in a modern, well serviced BMW, on an largely empty motorway at 10.30 on a dry and bright Sunday morning. I’m eternally thankful, that this country has abandoned Capital Punishment and that flogging isn’t an approved punishment and that worthy souls are prepared to sit in vans on motorway bridges to bring reckless miscreants such as myself to justice, for the heinous crime of traveling at 80mph. 80 bloody miles per hour - seriously? It’s a wonder that I could still breathe at that speed!!
Hopefully, I’ll manage to say nothing during my SAC and can walk away chastised and probably bitter about how the law works in this country. I might even pop into a small shop on the way home, pick up a few items and walk out without paying, because the chance of anyone doing anything about it, much less the probability of the police coming to see me are so slim, that it isn’t worth considering it as a risk!
Yes I broke the speed limit and yes I know that the law was broken and the law requires me to pay for my error, but I do think that something in the system is broken, when small shops can be raided with impunity by known offenders, but because I tax and insure my car and have correct and clean number plates, I just have to pay up and shut up, because the alternative will just cost me more.
Just wondering, have you been on the course? If so, how'd it go and do you feel any different? By the way, I got done last summer but wasn't offered a course because I was going too fast - though not way too fast, if you know what I mean. Hopefully, I’ll manage to say nothing during my SAC and can walk away chastised and probably bitter about how the law works in this country. I might even pop into a small shop on the way home, pick up a few items and walk out without paying, because the chance of anyone doing anything about it, much less the probability of the police coming to see me are so slim, that it isn’t worth considering it as a risk!
Yes I broke the speed limit and yes I know that the law was broken and the law requires me to pay for my error, but I do think that something in the system is broken, when small shops can be raided with impunity by known offenders, but because I tax and insure my car and have correct and clean number plates, I just have to pay up and shut up, because the alternative will just cost me more.
Sigmamark7 said:
I’ve just contributed £88 to the coffers of my local authority/police force, to go and learn the dismerits of traveling hugely in excess of the speed limit in a modern, well serviced BMW, on an largely empty motorway at 10.30 on a dry and bright Sunday morning. I’m eternally thankful, that this country has abandoned Capital Punishment and that flogging isn’t an approved punishment and that worthy souls are prepared to sit in vans on motorway bridges to bring reckless miscreants such as myself to justice, for the heinous crime of traveling at 80mph. 80 bloody miles per hour - seriously? It’s a wonder that I could still breathe at that speed!!
Hopefully, I’ll manage to say nothing during my SAC and can walk away chastised and probably bitter about how the law works in this country. I might even pop into a small shop on the way home, pick up a few items and walk out without paying, because the chance of anyone doing anything about it, much less the probability of the police coming to see me are so slim, that it isn’t worth considering it as a risk!
Yes I broke the speed limit and yes I know that the law was broken and the law requires me to pay for my error, but I do think that something in the system is broken, when small shops can be raided with impunity by known offenders, but because I tax and insure my car and have correct and clean number plates, I just have to pay up and shut up, because the alternative will just cost me more.
Very well put.Hopefully, I’ll manage to say nothing during my SAC and can walk away chastised and probably bitter about how the law works in this country. I might even pop into a small shop on the way home, pick up a few items and walk out without paying, because the chance of anyone doing anything about it, much less the probability of the police coming to see me are so slim, that it isn’t worth considering it as a risk!
Yes I broke the speed limit and yes I know that the law was broken and the law requires me to pay for my error, but I do think that something in the system is broken, when small shops can be raided with impunity by known offenders, but because I tax and insure my car and have correct and clean number plates, I just have to pay up and shut up, because the alternative will just cost me more.
For a lot of people the only interaction the have with the police is over "traffic matters".
I have absolute contempt for traffic police.
Glorified revenue collectors.
Other than that my dealings with the police have led me to view them as beyond useless.
Maybe it's just me, but a lot of people I talk to feel exactly the same.
I had my SAC this morning and I have to say, it wasn't too painful. I think it was helped by the lady presenting, who wasn't overly preachy and got her points across well. I have now learned my lesson and will drive like a funeral director.
Edited by Red9zero on Saturday 20th April 07:41
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