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Original poster

Anyone been on a driving course for speeding? MIL going on one.

39 replies

WilburIsSomePig · 20/08/2018 19:39

MIL has been caught speeding (35 in a 30) and has chosen to go on the driving awareness course next week rather than points on her licence. She is now convinced that they are going to supervise her driving around for 3 hours and take her licence off her if she isn't up to scratch. Has anyone ever been on one of these courses? What should she expect?

For info - she was caught in an area where the speed limit was 40 until 6 months ago when it was changed to 30 - she didn't realise this. It's entirely her fault, she knows this as there were signs etc., she was happily pootling along thinking she was going under the speed limit. She is distraught and 'feels like a criminal'.

OP posts:
SweepTheHalls · 20/08/2018 19:40

In a room for 3 hours, no practical element at all!

Permaexhaustion · 20/08/2018 19:40

Classroom based, info facts videos, questions about stopping distances etc.. In a group.
I haven't done one, but exDH has.

NameChangedAgain18 · 20/08/2018 19:41

There is no driving involved. DH did the course, it's based in a classroom.

SnuggyBuggy · 20/08/2018 19:42

My mum went on one last year and it was classroom based. Certainly no driving. The other people seemed nice and normal.

She said it felt a bit like an adult detention.

Nothisispatrick · 20/08/2018 19:44

No Driving involved! All classroom based and mine was quite interesting. Dp hated his and found it really boring. Depends on the course instructors I guess.

Original poster
WilburIsSomePig · 20/08/2018 19:44

This will set her mind at rest. She's got herself in a right state about it. Not helped by DH asking if she's been watching Orange is the New Black 'just in case'.

OP posts:
NewYearNewMe18 · 20/08/2018 19:44

A lot of shocking statistics and videos.

yikesanotherbooboo · 20/08/2018 19:45

I did one about 6 years ago and had a morning in the classroom and afternoon in the car with an instructor. DH and D Sis have done them since without being scrutinised so maybe it's changed or maybe it was a different police jurisdiction or something, I'm not sure.

Original poster
WilburIsSomePig · 20/08/2018 19:47

How long do they normally last?

OP posts:
ItWillAllBeOkayInTheEnd · 20/08/2018 19:47

There's a practical part to the driving awareness course, which is different to the speed awareness course. They don't 'fail' you though, just offer suggestions.

SpoonfulOfJam · 21/08/2018 11:52

I think mine was 4 hours. All in a hotel conference room.

Some talking with people around you.

I found it really useful actually. I found that a reminder of some of tbe speed limits and regulations, a few years after I passed my test and had real driving experience, was really valuable and meant a lot more than when studying for the theory test.

I

SnuggyBuggy · 21/08/2018 11:55

I think you sometimes get a cup of tea and my DGF got a free keyring at his which he was quite pleased with.

CiderwithBuda · 21/08/2018 11:59

Classroom based as others have said. Depending on who is giving it it’s quite interesting. Our was quite funny at times. The room seemed to naturally split into men one side and women on the other which the instructor said was very normal. He said he had had a funny incident once when a married couple were both in same one. Except they hadn’t told each other! She said she was going shopping and he said he was seeing some mates. Then they both spotted the other!

Samcro · 21/08/2018 12:02

tell her not to worry. i went on one and it was just like a very interesting lesson. we even had a "tea break".

magimedi · 21/08/2018 12:06

I went on one a year or so ago. (And am probably yr MILs age). Most informative - tea & buns half way through & it has done my driving a lot of good.

BiggerBoat1 · 21/08/2018 12:06

My 84 year old Mum went on one last year. She said it was all a bit patronising, but just based in a classroom. She was shown some videos and told lots of obvious stuff by off-duty police.

twosunbathingdogs · 21/08/2018 12:10

told lots of obvious stuff by off-duty police.

Not so obvious if she was on the course Grin

I went and assumed that it would be mainly young boy racers, but it was all middle aged people. I found it quite informative.

Orchidflower1 · 21/08/2018 12:13

Classroom based for half day that’s it.

Blobby10 · 21/08/2018 12:36

I did one a couple of years ago - 37 in a 30! I found it very interesting and informative but some of the (men) on the course clearly considered it a complete waste of time and beneath them. The most shocking bit for me were the statistics of injuries v deaths of pedestrians for even slightly speeding - somehow, even though I knew it, it really hit home and I'm much more conscious about my speed in a built up area now!

cobwebsinthebelfry · 21/08/2018 12:42

A few hours in a classroom and the video about a gorilla on a basket ball court, that's all.

JustAnotherPoster00 · 21/08/2018 13:02

I agree with PP's although none have mentioned that you have to enter the classroom dressed in an orange jump suit, shackles and a hannibal lecter mask Grin

PARunnerGirl · 21/08/2018 13:05

49 in a 40 for me Blush I went and it probably did improve my knowledge and attention around speed limits.

But yeah, she’ll just sit there in a hotel conference room and listen to stuff. You do need to “participate actively” though! Apparently they can fail you if you don’t!

mouseyblonde · 21/08/2018 13:06

Tell her to keep her eyes tightly peeled on the way out- when I drove out of mine, the bastards had arranged for a speed trap to be set up.

Don’t know if it was just a coincidence (it was off a busy main commuter road) but still

mydietstartsmonday · 21/08/2018 13:11

I have been, I was quite defensive to start but actually it was a very good course.

BarbaraofSevillle · 21/08/2018 13:19

I've done two .

Both times I was doing 35 in a 30 zone. This appears to be the criteria, which I'm not sure I agree with. It's the people caught doing 40/50 in a 30 zone that need this sort of course too, or maybe a harder hitting one.

The first was a very long time ago (15 years?), when these courses were in their infancy. There was a driving element, which I found very useful.

The second was about 5 years ago, the half day in a classroom course, and while there was some useful reminders, the lack of practical element made it not as useful, and the guy who ran the course, was a dick, quite frankly.

So it's very unlikely that your MIL will have to drive, especially if it's a half day one, and it's likely that she'll pick up a few tips about knowing what the speed limit is (streetlights and lack of 30 signs on side roads being the ones for 'is it a 30' roads.

Also driving in lower gears than it is likely that she was taught to use. Going back a few years, people were taught to get into 4th that being the top gear in most cars) as soon as possible, but now we have much more emphasis on sticking to 30, and possibly different gearing in cars, if your'e in a 30 zone, you should have the car in 3rd gear (and 4th in a 40 zone, and only go into 5th if in a 50 or above).