Anyone been on a speed awareness course?

[HelloDenise]

What can I expect?

If the format hasn't changed, you'll be shown slides of various road scenes and asked what you think the speed limit is in that area. Then short films and you'll be asked what hazards you can see and what action you think the driver should be anticipating. There's a general refresher session on the Highway Code and national speed limits on various types of road.

I found it a very good course (I've done it twice 🙄). More instructional that anything else a bit like an advanced driver's course. I actually enjoyed both of them and was glad I went.

Mine was really quite interesting. It was run by 2 ex police officers and they told very interesting stories.

I’ve done it twice once online and once in person. I actually think they are very good. You will be shown various videos and images and asked questions about what you’ve seen

A boring long day. Like being in a primary school classroom again. They show videos. Ask you questions, you write your answers down.

It's not like a test you pass or fail. Just sit there and you save yourself points.

You have to take photo id

I have. It was fine, just long but it went pretty quickly. You just need to listen and answer questions. There were I think 8 of us but you don’t really speak to each other.

Edited to add I did mine online (sat on my bed)

I've been on 3.
The first two were incredibly boring (I have ADHD), did not keep people's interest, did not engage the audience, I did not feel I'd learned anything. The third, they seemed to have improved tactic and actually made it interesting and informative. All of them, I found that the course leaders ignored women and selected men (when they had questions to the group).

I've done two in person one online.

Ditto. I.found it interesting and it helped make me a better driver. The only issue I had was that I was caught on camera doing 24mph on an empty road at 6.45am.

Someone’s idea that people drive too fast because they’re a tad dim and don’t understand speed. Explain it to them…. All day longggggg. You get the picture.

Yes , another here who has done it twice
( 25 in. 20mph zone)
It's quite enjoyable , no attempt to make you feel bad , not punitive
Helpful

I feel your pain - 23mph at 6am in a 20mph, that used to be a 30mph and has subsequently been restored to a 20mph! Mine was online which was good - took about four hours from memory and it was interesting.

I did one online.
i found it really interesting and learnt a lot.
I’ll not que up to do it again though!

I did an online one a few years ago. It was very friendly. A combination of basic highway code refreshers and a few tips to help you monitor and control your speed better.

I was absolutely terrified about doing it - I thought it would be stern. But if anything, I found the tone from the instructor too accepting and non-judgemental. I almost wanted to be reprimanded a bit.

I think that there were perhaps a couple of takeaways that made it easier for me to ensure compliance with speed limits, and the rest of it was a bit of a waste of time. But it helped a bit, and that's enough, really. More helpful than just handing over a fine at least.

DH has done one. Said it was long and dull with people trotting out the same excuses e.g. they were in a hurry or they were only doing 24mph at 6am. The course leader patiently explained that time of day doesn't change the law. MIL also did one at the same time ish and found it really interesting. So could go either way.

I didn't have to make any excuses but I was caught by a speed camera and did one course online. It wasn't a bad course.

Boring, but made excruciating as the facilitator thought he was David Brent and everyone was mega cringing.

I now use the speed limiter in 20mph zones.

I did one online recently, the instructor said it was a new format. No one had to explain why they were there. Everyone had to have camera and mike on at all times and the instructor prompted people by name to answer questions so no chance of just sitting there and not participating or paying attention. I found it really interesting, learned a fair bit and still think about it as I drive around so in that sense it did the trick!

I did one online. It was OK. The instructor made sure everyone was asked questions and contributed equally.
Some of it was quite informative. Some quite full and obvious. There was no “making excuses” required either.

Seemed to go on forever, though.

I did one a few years ago when I changed from manual to automatic - caught doing 34 on a 30 on the flat bit at the top of a hill because I couldn't 'hear' the engine like I used to. I think they are quite good but I don't think a lot of the tailgaiting/beeping/swerving/flashing men seem to be sent on it. My group was a lot of women who had done several miles over the limit doing the shopping run etc, so not the really dangerous men on motorways in my experience.

If you do it remotely you have to be "on" all the time. We were told absolutely no phones allowed and cameras had to be on. The instructor did call out people who she thought were using their phones. She also made a point of making sure everyone was listening and taking part - would call on you for an answer or opinion.

I did in in person twice. The groups were large and both times it was quite entertaining and fun. We weren't asked about our speeding offence. I think id5have found it very boring to do online.

An easy morning, quite interesting, often full of people who drive for a living, they are under so much pressure & do 10x more driving than the average person so they do get caught.
Mine was full of 1 bus driver, 1 wagon driver, 2 taxi drivers, several homecarers who realised their job was going to cost them their licience & the odd 1 or 2 general drivers.
Tea and biscuits in a hotel & educated on roads such as NSL no street lights often national speed limit etc.
Save you 3 points.

I did one in an in-person classroom more than ten years ago. It was quite informative and actually entertaining but also onerous and appropriately guilt-inducing enough that I wasn't keen to do it again. And I haven't, so it worked.

I essentially sped up too fast to overtake someone going from a 40mph road to a national speed limit dual carriageway section. On the camera I was caught just in front of the black and white sign. Stupid, it is a known mobile speed trap, it was a Saturday morning, I was on my way to the gym and had no need to rush. I was a bit excited about having bought myself my first nippy little car (at the age of 40, though I had been driving shared cars since I was 17).

I’ve done two. Both times the instructors were pleasant, informal and finished about twenty minutes early. They are strict about no phones or other distractions .Join in rather than sit there “just getting through it” and the time passes more quickly. Way better than getting points.