First ever driving offence - No speeding course offered?

[mumofaboynow]

Hi, I wondered if a mistake has been made or this is just it.

I got caught speeding at 35 in a 30 zone a while ago. They sent me the letter two weeks ago. I signed it and sent it off, declaring it was me, etc.

Just got a letter with the option of a £100 fine and 3 points or a court option which I obviously won't take.

I really thought a speed awareness course would be offered.

I was really shocked and upset about the speeding letter and so many people told me 'oh just take the course, no points that way'

Did you know that they didn't offer it? Even google seems to suggest a speeding course is usually offered for a first offence

The "other information" they have is the area where you were speeding. They may have felt it was particularly irresponsible or dangerous in that area.

10% + 1 is the margin for enforcing speed tickets e.g you won't recieve a speeding ticket at 34, but you will at 35. The comes from guidance published by the Associate of Police Chiefs. It also contains guidance on thresholds for offering speed awareness courses, however the threshold for is much higher - you'll be offered a course if caught going between 34 and 45.

Not all regions follow this rule.

Copy of guidance here:
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:25325dd8-f990-445b-9ddf-465e2d29f6ad

jfc?

so the fine wasn’t halved
so… your orig post was inaccurate 🤷

I got caught doing 37 in a 30 zone and was offered a speed awareness course. First offence in 40 years of driving.

My original post specifically refers to the fine doubling from the initial letter. So no, my post was accurate and I even included the point about it doubling after the first letter was missed, in case morons like you turned up to quibble with the word “halved”.
As the fine had doubled, when it was then halved, back to the original amount, it had indeed halved. I didn’t say she got her original fine halved.

heavens… coffee and fresh air for you! 😆

My friend got a fine halved

nope

she got the late penalty removed due to mitigating factors

I won’t repeat myself as to how the fine was halved but by the way you don’t get a late penalty. You get a fine with an offer to pay a lower amount if you pay within a certain time period.

so it wasn’t halved!

£80 fine but £40 if paid within two weeks

two weeks lapsed because keeper wasn’t home to receive mail

keeper explained circs to issuer

allowed extension of the 2 week grace period for the original offer of £40 if paid within 2 weeks

I knew they were offered at the discretion of the police force so no one is entitled to one.

Suck it up and don't speed again. You could still do your own research in the difference of having an accident at different speeds as it's quite shocking and will hopefully make you stop speeding.

40 is half of 80

I was told the 10% was you wouldn’t even get flashed by a camera. Ie doing 32 in a 30 you would get away with. 76 in a 70 as well

I am genuinely shocked people commit further offences after doing a speed awareness course. When I did mine it changed the way I thought about speed on the roads and I still adhere to speed limits 17 years later.

people have already debunked the 10% thing so I won't bother with that, but I find the 'some forces don't do the course' weird as well, because when I got offered it the options were with at least 4 different police forces. I ended up doing it with one that was in a different country to the one I live in and got caught in (england/wales), because it was the cheapest. Give so many of them are online there's no real reason why it should matter what force you come under.

Slightly off topic but I was surprised at how much of a price difference there was between the different ones, I think at least £15 between the cheapest and most expensive.

I got caught at 89 in a 70 - the letter said my speed was too high to be offered a course.......I got 3 points and £100 fine

@NewWinger some insurers ask if you've ever done a SAC

@Bjorkdidit

if you can't do both should you even be driving? Watching the road & the Speedo isn't exactly difficult.

How long before points are wiped?

agreed

3 years to be counted and drop off record after 4

It would matter to most people as course is way preferable than points in your licence. How do you not know that?

That must be area specific , I went on one and there was someone there who had something like over 70 in a 60 and most seemed to be 35/36;in a 30

That’s interesting… DP did a SAC a few years back, neither his insurer nor mine (he’s a named driver) wanted to know. Both gave the impression that it wasn’t a notifiable event, but thinking about it, I would err on the side of caution and tell insurers if I’d ever happen to do one.

Did you ring them to ask why there was no course option OP @mumofaboynow ? Hope it got sorted.