Speed awareness course

[Christmassydecs]

I’m so upset to have received notice in the post that I drove at 43mph in a 30mph zone. No excuses, I did it and I’m thoroughly ashamed. It wasn’t a built up area but a country road in Cumbria I’ve never previously driven on and I missed any 30 sign. I’m normally a very careful driver and reached age 69 trouble free.

Has anyone attended a speed awareness course as an alternative to licence points and is it a theory test or more listening to talks? I’m not sure if I’ll be eligible to take the course option as from what I’ve read the cut off point is up to 42mph in a 30 zone. I was recorded doing 43mph. Does anyone know if the 42mph is set in stone or if there is room for discretion?

My late OH was caught in a similar way, leaving roadworks with a 40 limit he thought that as the roundabout was outside the roadworks area the road would be 50 beyond it and it wasn't, for 150m! He did the SA course, became boringly evangelical and ended up running the local speed watch!

Utter rubbish. Of course the reason a person is over the speed limit is relevant - it doesn't happen randomly - if you don't know why you were speeding, how can you take steps to avoid doing it in future? The SA courses should include that reason, as well as covering people who were 'late for work' or whatever.

There was someone on my course who got very agitated when the instructors warned us (100% correctly, by the way. All their predictions have come to pass) that the DoT was revising speed limits downwards generally.

This person had been caught doing just over 60 on a 40 road that used to be a 60. They went to court (to tell the judge the speed limit was wrong) and accepted the SAC instead of points.

However in the SAC they started off again on how the limits were wrong and they shouldn't have been done.

In the end they were taken to one side. I don't know what was said, but they didn't say a word after.

I suspect they were remined (as we were all told at the beginning) that our being their and attending in a positive manner was acceptance that we had broken the law. If we had a problem with that we were free to leave, and go to court to explain to a judge why we were not guilty.

I may talk far too much, but I know when to listen.

huh?

the specific “reason” of “didn’t see the sign”

is not relevant in the eyes of the law for one nanosecond

so what would someone learn who didn’t see the maximum speed sign?

to… look at the road ahead of you???

Sorry, I meant that they're arranged and organised by the police and you have to attend "in person" - you can't just do it online in your free time.

No one was talking about what was relevant in the law. We were talking about how useful (or not) a speed awareness course is.

Everyone I know who has done one in the last few years has done it online.

It was a country road. It's all about raising revenue.

OP, I got caught speeding recently also, 65 on a 50mph bypass. There are three speed changes in that stretch of road.

It happens. Pay your fine, take your points and pay closer attention to camera whereabouts.

PP mentioned that their course taught them how to 'read the road' for the speed limit where the sign has been missed, which would be useful in that scenario.

There are clues, if you are a clue type of person.

If nothing else, I learned what the NSL sign actually signifies. For a slightly nerdy person like me, it was worth that alone.

Most of the people on my speed awareness course were law abiding sensible types who were all pissed off as they’d only gone over by a small amount. There was even an advanced driving instructor sat next to me who was fuming. Actually the course ended up being excellent and as an habitual speedy-Susan, quite life changing.

Oh, I feel for you, OP, having gone through the same earlier this year. I doubt that you'll be offered a speed awareness course, unfortunately, but three points isn't the end of the world, and sounds like you know what you did wrong and why it happened. Makes you want to spit though, doesn't it!

And to those holier than thou people saying you shouldn't miss road signs, well, of course you shouldn't, but there are all kinds of reasons why people do. What drivers shouldn't miss is streetlights (indicates 30 limit) or 40 repeaters. 20 zones are (in my experience) often poorly signed, and these are the ones that are going to get people more and more. Not an excuse but still peeved!

I got caught speeding in 2017, I was on the motorway going through roadworks and I was doing 55 in 50 (roadworks) zone. I don't remember having crept up speed, I do remember it was a quiet summer's evening, hardly any traffic, clear visibility and I was driving home from a day out. I was quite upset about it as I always keep to the speed limit and what's more, I have done the advanced driving course in the past, so I should have known better.

I was offered a choice of doing the course or taking 3 points and £100 fine, I actually took the latter as I decided I'd done the crime so I should take the punishment.

The points expire after 3 years and (I think?) come off your record after 4 years, so aren't on my current driving licence as it changed when my address changed. I have tried to be extra careful ever since then.

You get the NIP and have to say who was driving which is probably what OP got, then after sending that back you get the course offer or not, DH did anyway and got a course for 70 in a 60.

yes country roads

often narrow
frequent bends and often sharp
often poorly maintained
no pavements and so any walkers are on the road

Hi there, I'm been on a speed course I was panicking so bad but when I went it was actually alright it's abit like a class in college all people of all ages of all backgrounds the teachers are from the police but they were actually alright the one even said it happens missing the sign or getting distracted by the kids ect but just slow down as soon as you notice honestly now I'm the biggest panicker in the world but it wasn't bad we are all human at the end of the day I know it's easy to say but it's one of those things try not to panic and have a brew 👍

... tractors, livestock, wildlife ...

I don't remember having crept up speed,

I live by my speed limiter. Which is why it was a bit of a nuisance that I was snapped whilst adjusting it.

No one has ever been able to devise a grown up argument as to why speed limiters shouldn't be mandatory. Which is good, as they now are.

I attended in person (34 in a 30 limit) and found the course quite enjoyable and definitely informative, about eg. knowing that if there're street lights then it's 30, unless there are signs otherwise. They had also did a comparison between going at a steady (legal) speed from Bristol to London and going at 80 and they found the lower was cheaper (less fuel) AND quicker as you only had to stop for fuel once. A lot of it was quizzes and we were put into groups to answer. Also some interesting psychology about not being rushed, and how people see drivers speeding through their towns and villages - clever? Cool? No - idiots. I wish I could say that to people round here - I live in a 20mph zone!

Yes, that's why I said "in person". I did say as much in my first post.

I was trying to say that you have to attend live, either in person or on Zoom - which is what a PP was asking.

Can I just say I didn’t mention i hadn’t seen a 30 sign as an excuse for breaking the speed limit. If I didn’t see a sign then that can only be down to inattention on my part. That’s why I’m so upset. I’ve always been a careful driver and have held a clean driving licence for 50 years. I’d never intentionally exceed the speed limit.

It absolutely is relevant . The most common excuse in court is that people didn’t realise they were speeding -very rarely does anyone admit to doing it deliberately .
The course teaches you to pay more attention to road signs, to read the road and to work out what the limit is . It’s offered to people who are otherwise safe drivers as it’s believed that they will amend their ways after a reminder of the danger of their actions
If after attending people declare it wasn’t intended for them , then they are a danger on the road and will no doubt be appearing in court for a more serious offence further down the line where reasons ( excuses) for speeding hold no value except in very rare circumstances !
For those saying it’s about raising revenue ,maybe you should attend a course . On the one I attended many years ago , the real life story from a mother whose DC lost their life due to a driver who was only just over the limit in a 30 zone was harrowing - the whole class was in tears .

it is irrelevant to the court’s decision re your punishment

I've done one and found it very useful. Bit like an advanced driving course. It is about education not punishment.

Not always done by a police officer. Mine wasn't.