Speed awareness course feedback
Discussion
I'm coming to the realisation that having a fast car for daily use, including commuting, is actually pretty pointless. I find when I use the family Land Cruiser, I very very rarely break the speed limit, and arrive wherever I'm going significantly more relaxed than if I was bouncing off the limiter in the Civic. There's a lot to be said for that I think.
I did a SAC for 36mph in a 30mph limit on my 125cc Vespa ET4 (downhill, with a tailwind) which was somewhat amusing given that at the time in my life I was tearing all over the county at high speed in a 996 Carrera 2.
I actually found the course was rather good, espcially the stat that 80% of children hit by a car at 30mph will survive, 80% of childen hit by a car at 40mph will die. When you consider that (am assuming it is true) then those few mph over 30, for what they acually achieve, are pretty much pointless. So ever since I bimble around town obeying all 30/40/50 and NSLs.
For dual carriageways and motorways with little or no traffic on them then I exercise my judgment as to what is a safe speed for my vehicle and the prevailing conditions, as opposed to some arbitrary limit imposed in the 1960s.
I actually found the course was rather good, espcially the stat that 80% of children hit by a car at 30mph will survive, 80% of childen hit by a car at 40mph will die. When you consider that (am assuming it is true) then those few mph over 30, for what they acually achieve, are pretty much pointless. So ever since I bimble around town obeying all 30/40/50 and NSLs.
For dual carriageways and motorways with little or no traffic on them then I exercise my judgment as to what is a safe speed for my vehicle and the prevailing conditions, as opposed to some arbitrary limit imposed in the 1960s.
I think SAC courses are excellent because:
1. Saved me getting 3 points on my license
2. Educates an unbelievably HUGE amount of thickos who don't seem to have a clue about speeds limits e.g. NSL and other highway code questions raised on the course
Apart from saving me 3 points it reminded me to be more speed camera aware.
1. Saved me getting 3 points on my license
2. Educates an unbelievably HUGE amount of thickos who don't seem to have a clue about speeds limits e.g. NSL and other highway code questions raised on the course
Apart from saving me 3 points it reminded me to be more speed camera aware.
I did a speed awareness course a while ago after getting caught (in my car) doing 66 in a 50, or something like that. It was in Guildford in the summer, which is about a 1.5 hour ride from me - so I thought why not take the bike? When I turned up everyone else waiting for the course was stood in the car park, they assumed that I was the stereo typical nutter-on-super-bike who always got done for speeding. But this was my first (and only) SAC. Fortunately the instructor was a bike guy and we spent a good while talking bikes before the course started. He was a decent bloke, very knowledgable and a dry sense of humour. I think it all depends who is taking the course, if they are good then it will be a good course with something useful to takeaway, if they aren't then it won't be. Needless to say at the end of the day I did I huge burnout before a big wheelie out the car park as my farewell to show it all sank in 
Re: continuous driver education / testing:
Back to the SAC, I know two people who have done it and both said that it was a complete waste of time, they'd have preferred an hour of hands-on driving instruction for the same money. Take them out on a track and practically demonstrate thinking times and braking distances.
Pothole said:
Prohibitive cost, unless you think it's also OK for everyone to pay £100 for it.
People pay £85 every ten years to renew a passport, I don't see why paying a similar magnitude every decade to ensure that they're still fit to drive is a burden.Back to the SAC, I know two people who have done it and both said that it was a complete waste of time, they'd have preferred an hour of hands-on driving instruction for the same money. Take them out on a track and practically demonstrate thinking times and braking distances.
Edited by FA57REN on Thursday 12th September 11:57
I had one earlier this year, mobile van (that had been discussed on here prior to me being caught) got me for 34 in a 30 that I thought was a 40, about 20m from the entry to a motorway that's signed as a 50mph. Three lane road on each side of a central barrier, no other traffic around, no pedestrians... I was miffed to begin with. It was made worse as it was my wife's car and the amount of pleasure she extracted from signing the form to say it was me made me a little worried about our relationship.
Firstly the course reminded me how to identify a 30mph road if you haven't seen any signs or just aren't sure, in that respect, on the stretch I was caught on at least, it's changed my behaviours.
My next take-home was that I was disgruntled at the lack of free tea and coffee. What coffee was available at break times from a vending machine was awful.
I was amazed how busy it was, there must have been 30+ on my course and the same waiting to come in again as we left.
It's shocking how fidgety people get when they have to turn their mobiles off for a few hours.
An Italian guy on my table clearly didn't grasp the Highway Code and this was his second SAC, the camera that caught him this time was on the road he lived on.
As others have said it was scary how few people knew the Highway Code, I also had a few van drivers on the course who had no idea about the different limits.
Again as others have mentioned it highlights what a range of people you share the roads with which it a real worry now.
The instructors were very good, not patronising at all.
One of them jokingly asked someone to come up to the front and do a police-style commentary on a drive video they were showing to highlight the dangers and what could be seen. Apparently I'm the only person who has ever volunteered to do it, too much Traffic Cops clearly.
When we left I found most of the attendees parked illegally or just like dicks.
Ultimately the biggest thing I have now is a sense of injustice that I got punished for something fairly trivial and yet on a daily basis I witness 10's of people doing far worse and getting away with it.
But I have slowed down a bit and remind myself that an extra 10mph isn't really going to make my journey that much quicker so I guess we've all won,
4/10, would rather not do it again,
Firstly the course reminded me how to identify a 30mph road if you haven't seen any signs or just aren't sure, in that respect, on the stretch I was caught on at least, it's changed my behaviours.
My next take-home was that I was disgruntled at the lack of free tea and coffee. What coffee was available at break times from a vending machine was awful.
I was amazed how busy it was, there must have been 30+ on my course and the same waiting to come in again as we left.
It's shocking how fidgety people get when they have to turn their mobiles off for a few hours.
An Italian guy on my table clearly didn't grasp the Highway Code and this was his second SAC, the camera that caught him this time was on the road he lived on.
As others have said it was scary how few people knew the Highway Code, I also had a few van drivers on the course who had no idea about the different limits.
Again as others have mentioned it highlights what a range of people you share the roads with which it a real worry now.
The instructors were very good, not patronising at all.
One of them jokingly asked someone to come up to the front and do a police-style commentary on a drive video they were showing to highlight the dangers and what could be seen. Apparently I'm the only person who has ever volunteered to do it, too much Traffic Cops clearly.
When we left I found most of the attendees parked illegally or just like dicks.
Ultimately the biggest thing I have now is a sense of injustice that I got punished for something fairly trivial and yet on a daily basis I witness 10's of people doing far worse and getting away with it.
But I have slowed down a bit and remind myself that an extra 10mph isn't really going to make my journey that much quicker so I guess we've all won,
4/10, would rather not do it again,
PurpleTurtle said:
I did a SAC for 36mph in a 30mph limit on my 125cc Vespa ET4 (downhill, with a tailwind) which was somewhat amusing given that at the time in my life I was tearing all over the county at high speed in a 996 Carrera 2.
I actually found the course was rather good, espcially the stat that 80% of children hit by a car at 30mph will survive, 80% of childen hit by a car at 40mph will die. When you consider that (am assuming it is true) then those few mph over 30, for what they acually achieve, are pretty much pointless. So ever since I bimble around town obeying all 30/40/50 and NSLs.
For dual carriageways and motorways with little or no traffic on them then I exercise my judgment as to what is a safe speed for my vehicle and the prevailing conditions, as opposed to some arbitrary limit imposed in the 1960s.
I remember on my course (70 in a 60, in case anyone isn't interested), the guy running the course was really surprised that I got that stat correct.I actually found the course was rather good, espcially the stat that 80% of children hit by a car at 30mph will survive, 80% of childen hit by a car at 40mph will die. When you consider that (am assuming it is true) then those few mph over 30, for what they acually achieve, are pretty much pointless. So ever since I bimble around town obeying all 30/40/50 and NSLs.
For dual carriageways and motorways with little or no traffic on them then I exercise my judgment as to what is a safe speed for my vehicle and the prevailing conditions, as opposed to some arbitrary limit imposed in the 1960s.
I remember thinking, the guy running the course should really be aware of the PSAs that have gone out on national TV hundreds if not thousands of times stating this exact statistic
Shakermaker said:
George Smiley said:
The video showed an increase of 1mph became an extra 8mph at the same stopping point which seems a bit bs
We had this discussion on here a while ago, another PH'er must have been on the same course. I thought they said that the difference was 5mph, but may depend on the speeds from which you started. but it isn't BS, if you think about it. The rate of stopping will have an effect as well, but the same vehicle with the same weight and brakes etc, if it starts braking at the same point, will take a greater distance to reach a complete stop if it starts with a higher speed. And from that you can work out the actual speed difference at any given point, and the point at which the slower car has reached 0, the faster call will have some distance to travel.
Car travelling at 30mph is carrying 900 units of kinetic energy (30x 30). car doing 35 is carrying 1225 units (35x35). So at the point the car doing 30 stops and has lost 900 units, a car doing 35 still has 325 units of kinetic energy left to get rid of. The square root of 325 is the speed it is therefore doing, 18mph (18x18=324).
If I recall my schoolboy physics correctly
Edited by TwigtheWonderkid on Thursday 12th September 12:08
Johnnytheboy said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
dcb said:
Let's not forget that - by definition - 50% of folks have below average intelligence.
If you think that, you're one of them. That's not how average works. If you have 10 people, one with an IQ of 150, and 9 with an IQ or 100, then 90% of them have below average intelligence. Johnnytheboy said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
dcb said:
Let's not forget that - by definition - 50% of folks have below average intelligence.
If you think that, you're one of them. That's not how average works. If you have 10 people, one with an IQ of 150, and 9 with an IQ or 100, then 90% of them have below average intelligence. PurpleTurtle said:
I actually found the course was rather good, espcially the stat that 80% of children hit by a car at 30mph will survive, 80% of childen hit by a car at 40mph will die. When you consider that (am assuming it is true) then those few mph over 30, for what they acually achieve, are pretty much pointless. So ever since I bimble around town obeying all 30/40/50 and NSLs.
Why don't you bimble everywhere at 30 so most children that you hit will survive, whatever the posted speed limit?Sheepshanks said:
One thing she said, which I've heard a lot but hasn't been mentioned in this thread, is that most of the people on the course were old - in their 60's to early 70's.
This may be because pensioners have endless time that is of little to no value to them. For a younger person the course may involve using some of your very limited time off, or arranging childcare. They are surely far more likely to just pay the fine and take the points.stickleback123 said:
Sheepshanks said:
One thing she said, which I've heard a lot but hasn't been mentioned in this thread, is that most of the people on the course were old - in their 60's to early 70's.
This may be because pensioners have endless time that is of little to no value to them. For a younger person the course may involve using some of your very limited time off, or arranging childcare. They are surely far more likely to just pay the fine and take the points.Sheepshanks said:
PurpleTurtle said:
I actually found the course was rather good, espcially the stat that 80% of children hit by a car at 30mph will survive, 80% of childen hit by a car at 40mph will die. When you consider that (am assuming it is true) then those few mph over 30, for what they acually achieve, are pretty much pointless. So ever since I bimble around town obeying all 30/40/50 and NSLs.
Why don't you bimble everywhere at 30 so most children that you hit will survive, whatever the posted speed limit?
Sheepshanks said:
Why don't you bimble everywhere at 30 so most children that you hit will survive, whatever the posted speed limit?
well of course you shouldn't encounter children wandering around on a 70mph stretch of road, for example. Which is why I often feel the pressure is wrong when "people" say that it would be bad to raise the motorway speed limit to (say) 80, because of examples of pedestrians being killed on an A-road, which has different rules etc. Riley Blue said:
Is it possible to attend a SAC voluntarily? I'm intrigued by the comments so far and fancy sitting in on one. I suppose the easiest way is to find an active camera.
Apparently there was a proposal to offer the courses to all & sundry, but it was dropped through lack of interest. Did the new(ish) MAC (Motorway Awareness Course) last weekend, as I'd been nabbed on a smart motorway. As it did focus exclusively on those roads, I confess I found it kind of nerdily interesting: lots of info I didn't know.I'd done a regular SAC about 5 years ago (I know, I know, my middle name is danger...actually it's Frank) & there was really nothing in common. As with other posters, I did find some people's lack of knowledge staggering, but not half as annoying as the ever present conference cliches - the one who can't hep finishing the presenters sentences & the one who can't help shouting the first thing that comes to mind, meaning about 20% of the session was devoted to steering the audience back on topic.
CF
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