Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

Original poster

Points or course for speeding?

25 replies

Cheetahssitonfajitas · 13/02/2019 08:14

I'm a knob and received a letter for doing 28 in a 20. It was on a road where it went from 30 to 20 and I obviously missed it as I was searching for my turning. Idiot. Anyway - fair cop. So I have a choice of 3 points on my clean license (plus fine) or do a speed awareness course (plus fine) WWYD? I'm leaning towards the former as I have so little time spare but is that foolish? More foolish than speeding in the first place?

OP posts:

Blueuggboots · 13/02/2019 08:16

Do the course!! Yes it takes up 4 hours of your time and costs about £100 but you don't then have points on your license which increase your insurance premiums for at least 3 years! You'd be bonkers to take the points!!!

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 13/02/2019 08:19

Short term pain for long term gain. Make the time, do the course. You’ll learn something too.

Magenta82 · 13/02/2019 08:21

Do the course, getting patronised for a few hours and having a clean driving licence is far better than the insurance hike and points. The course is not terrible and you might learn something new. -you might not though I've done two!-

Also get waze, its a satnav phone app and it tells you where all the speed cameras are.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Driving & parking

LoniceraJaponica · 13/02/2019 08:22

Speed awareness course. It's a no brainer.

The policeman presenting at the one I did was rather tasty. So it was win win for me

DontLookBackIntoTheSun · 13/02/2019 08:22

I took the points rather than spend 4 hours on a course. The points didn’t affect my insurance at all - I did tell my insurance company

CallingDannyBoy · 13/02/2019 08:22

Course - points will affect your insurance plus I found it really useful and it has changed how I drive.

Lucisky · 13/02/2019 08:23

Yes, do the course. It will cost much the same as the fine, but you really don't want points on your licence.

Kerberos · 13/02/2019 08:23

Definitely take the course. It's worth doing in its own right.

Original poster

Cheetahssitonfajitas · 13/02/2019 08:24

I think it's £100 plus points or £100 for the course. Dh reckons points don't affect insurance? That's what made me lean towards the points. But if they do affect insurance I'll absolutely be patronised for a few hours!

OP posts:

Trottersindependenttraders · 13/02/2019 08:26

I’d say do the course. It’s not that badly actually and it does make you think. I thought there would be a lot of patronising and l’d be made to feel like a naughty school girl but not at all.

Original poster

Cheetahssitonfajitas · 13/02/2019 08:26

@Magenta82 thanks for the Waze tip! Though I'm religiously sticking to the limits now. Much to the annoyance of every other driver on the road apparently! SO many people up my arse and a couple of dodgy overtakes, it feels way more dangerous!

OP posts:

Cosmoplease · 13/02/2019 08:27

Course, definitely.

I have done it and no, I can't say it was the best few hours of my life, but much better than taking the points imo.

CherryPavlova · 13/02/2019 08:30

The course and save the points for next time. The course is as dishwater, patronising and a morning you’ll never get back but it does protect your licence.

BarbaraofSevillle · 13/02/2019 08:33

One set of points probably won't affect your insurance, but two will, so it's best to go on the course in case you get caught again, which you shouldn't do because the courses are actually worthwhile and you learn why it's usually pointless speeding (you almost never get anywhere. except to the next bottleneck, any quicker) and how to quickly tell what the speedlimit on any particular road is.

MotorcycleMayhem · 13/02/2019 08:34

Take the course. Always take the course!

cookiemonster3 · 13/02/2019 08:39

The course does affect your insurance. You will have to declare it and it will increase similar to if you had the points. My ex got caught speeding, did the course as we believed it wouldn't increase the insurance but it did.

BarbaraofSevillle · 13/02/2019 08:44

Different insurance companies treat courses and points differently and you have to read the questions they ask on quotes carefully to see exactly what they are asking.

Sometimes they want to know about a speed awareness course, sometimes they don't. They will always want to know about points though.

HarrySnotter · 13/02/2019 08:44

I did the course last year. It was ok actually.

toastonbean · 13/02/2019 08:47

Last time I did the course (I've done it twice... ) they said quite clearly it would NOT affect your insurance premiums and you do not have to inform your insurers . This was in 2012 though, unless it's changed recently PP?

Definitely take the course.

LoniceraJaponica · 13/02/2019 09:01

The course wasn't patronising at all. And it didn't affect my insurance.

coffeeforone · 13/02/2019 09:08

The course was actually ok. Didn't actually learn anything but not as patronising as I thought it would be. You can usually do them early weekend mornings so you still have the afternoon free.

Pascha · 13/02/2019 09:10

The course is really interesting and actually very helpful with lots of stuff about reading the road and understanding where and why speed limits change. It's well worth doing.

Original poster

Cheetahssitonfajitas · 13/02/2019 09:12

Great - you've decided me to do the course. Thanks all for your help.

OP posts:

Cantbeattheeightiesmusic · 13/02/2019 09:15

Definitely do the course, it's not patronising at all, it wasn't boring like I thought it'd be and I got to keep a clean licence.

SnapesGreasyHair · 13/02/2019 09:18

I have done the course and when l renewed last year, my insurance company asked if l had any speeding convictions which l answered no too. Then they asked if I'd attended a course. So my insurance was affected.

Flip