Speed awareness course feedback

Speed awareness course feedback

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George Smiley

Original Poster:

5,048 posts

81 months

Wednesday 11th September 2019
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A short while back I was caught at 82 on the a303. My first blemish in nearly 30 years of getting away with it.

Annoying as it was, it was a fair cop.

The SAC date came, dreading 4 hours of being told I was a menace to society I arrived with my preconceptions.

Not a habitual speeder my indiscretions were limited to wide open NSLs.

I didn’t come away thinking such activities as 82 on an open empty dry dual carriageway was a major danger and yet since, I’ve benefited massively from keeping to the limits.

Using the electric limiter has proven hugely rewarding, no stress and it only makes a difference to journey times if doing 200 plus miles in open clear roads.

It’s really helped me arrive less stressed, sure I can still get my fun, driving rewarding roads but keeping as close to the safe limit is far more rewarding.

Have you been on a sac and has your driving changed?

George Smiley

Original Poster:

5,048 posts

81 months

Thursday 12th September 2019
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Johnnytheboy said:
OP where did you do the course?
Swindon

George Smiley

Original Poster:

5,048 posts

81 months

Thursday 12th September 2019
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Lazadude said:
The only thing the SAC showed me was that the public really don't know anything about the rules of the road, signs or even basic physics...
That was an eye opener, the number who didn’t know a dual carriageway can be a single lane etc

George Smiley

Original Poster:

5,048 posts

81 months

Thursday 12th September 2019
quotequote all
Chris I’m 43. Like you I stuck to all other limits and even on the motorway commute I’d stay around 60 as you got there no quicker but at most I’d typically go to 77 on the clock.

Day I got caught I obviously was doing more but I got caught.

Missus laughs. She never obeys any limit and unlikely to get zapped due to the roads she drives. Humph.

George Smiley

Original Poster:

5,048 posts

81 months

Thursday 12th September 2019
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Ed/L152 said:
Whilst I've never been on a SAC, the most interesting fact seems to be that a fairly trivial increase in speed (30 -> 35, say) results in a disproportionate increase in kinetic energy of the vehicle, and a disproportionate increase in impact speed if an accident occurs.

Both make sense mathematically, but aren't immediately intuitive.
The video showed an increase of 1mph became an extra 8mph at the same stopping point which seems a bit bs

George Smiley

Original Poster:

5,048 posts

81 months

Thursday 12th September 2019
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V8RX7 said:
I do the same and speed every day.

If you don't know better then I pity you, I know my capabilities, I know the weather conditions, I know the traffic, I know what car / van / truck I'm driving, I know what load I'm carrying... so obviously I can make a better judgement on my speed than some random number on a stick.

Exactly what scientific approach do you think was used to set the limits and how often are they reviewed ? It's the same limit at 6am on a sunny summer morning as in the snow, in the dark, at rush hour !

I can tell you in the last 25 years I've had no accidents.

Been let off with a warning approx 10 times

Had one SAC

Had 4 sets of 3 points and fines

Have held a clean license for at least the last 10 years

Now, what was your point ?

Edited by V8RX7 on Thursday 12th September 19:21
Either you’re trolling or you genuinely believe this. You have an extra duty of care she driving loads as each load is different you would hope professional drivers would take a greater duty of care. This isn’t Shakespeare raceway

George Smiley

Original Poster:

5,048 posts

81 months

Friday 13th September 2019
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You haven’t included friction to your calculations

You are working it out that both the cortina and the 911 have the same coefficients, brakes nor are you taking into consideration weight distribution, spring rates etc.

George Smiley

Original Poster:

5,048 posts

81 months

Friday 13th September 2019
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TwigtheWonderkid said:
George Smiley said:
You haven’t included friction to your calculations

You are working it out that both the cortina and the 911 have the same coefficients, brakes nor are you taking into consideration weight distribution, spring rates etc.
No, I'm saying that the Cortina at 30 mph has the same brakes, weight distribution and springs as the self same Cortina at 35 mph, and the 911 at 30 has the same brakes, weight distribution and springs as the self same 911 at 35 mph.

We are talking about the same incident. A Cortina braking from 30mph at point A comes to a halt at point B. Had it been doing 35mph at point A, it would be doing 18mph at point B. Same for a 911 (although point B will be closer to point A for the 911.)

People can argue this until the cows come home, but they are wrong, and Sir Isaac Newton was right. The laws of physics don't give two hoots if a human thinks they don't sound right.

He got it wrong about a plane on the conveyor belt.

George Smiley

Original Poster:

5,048 posts

81 months

Monday 16th September 2019
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Back on target I enjoyed my course and stick to all limits now. Arrive no later but in a less state of stress.

George Smiley

Original Poster:

5,048 posts

81 months

Tuesday 17th September 2019
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Is anyone debating SACs?