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?

Yes 3 months ago

No, I think it's more about people who have decades of driving experience and are able to drive according to the conditions of the road.

I see plenty of speeding dickheads on a daily basis, revving, undertaking and Amber gambling, and nothing on the roads is more dangerous than cyclists who believe the rules of the road and traffic lights do not apply to them. I agree that in many places 20mph is appropriate, particularly when cyclists do not have lights.

I'd like to see a registration scheme for bicycles and penalties in place for cyclists who continually break the law.

We've got one of those very small cars that you don't pay tax on; costs about £50 to fill the tank and we easily do 250 miles on a tank, albeit not at 80 mph.

Nobody’s stopping multiple times for fuel on a 120 mile journey.

Unless you have an EV and it's cold ....

If it was mandatory for all drivers it probably wouldn't be around £100 as it is probably priced at that to put it at similar cost as fine and points or it wouldn't be a deterrent.

No, I think it's more about people who have decades of driving experience and are able to drive according to the conditions of the road.

I was probably the youngest on my course 10 years ago.

There would also be economies of scale.

Are you still not required to tell insurers ? On my one we were told that was the case and one attendee showed us a form that specifically asked for it. The instructors were very unimpressed, but I don't know what happened.

I did one this year and found it useful.

It was interesting as it talked about why there are 20 mph zones now - statistics on being hit at 20 versus 30 made a lot of sense. Also useful in terms of what to look out for on the road to determine the speed limit repeater signs, road markings, street lights etc.

It depends on the insurer, DH didn't have to but when we checked there was one insurance company that asked for it, i can't remember which one but it was a well known one, it depends on the wording in the policy.

No you have to actually attend

There are hundreds of times from 7am in the morning online until late and 7 days a week

I'm 65 and did two Speed Awareness courses a long while ago. (Plus at one point I had 9 points on my licence.) I learned to drive according to the speed limit, rather than what I considered safe. Result!

Plus the courses were brilliantly run (I REALLY can't imagine anything more difficult to teach.) We had the odd idiot who, even when confronted with evidence of fatal crashes where peeps didn't do the right thing, still disagreed with the recommended behaviour. Informative, worthwhile, what more do you want? Go for it if you can.

There are 70% more fatalities on rural roads than urban.

4 times as many collisions on rural roads result in a fatality compared with highways

Thats where the deaths occur so that's why there has been a targeted campaign to reduce speed on those roads.

It's about saving lives not raising revenue

Yes, but you still attend an actual course with an actual instructor.

I find them useful and enjoyable, Ive been on 2, hope not to repeat it again, really watching my speed nowadays

If you do have points they come off in 3 years.

I did the course by Zoom and it was quite entertaining, with the older man whose house phone kept ringing at full volume and the lady whose camera was set at a very odd angle. The guy running it just hit the right notes between serious and informative.

I'd add that the 10% over is an absolute myth, I got fined for doing 44mph driving out of a 40mph zone on a rural road and then doing 76 mph on a bypass. Both times were hand held cameras on an overbridge and hidden in a hedge on a layby. It is 100% driven by revenue and makes me furious. My insurance has gone from £400 a year to nearly £1500. I'm terrified now to go above 30mph anywhere. I'd add that I'm 54 and never had/been in an accident.

Start talking to people about it. You'll find that well over half the people you talk to will have been on at least one speed awareness course, It will make you feel less bad about yourself.

nothing on the roads is more dangerous than cyclists who believe the rules of the road and traffic lights do not apply to them. In a collision between a car and a bike, the cyclist usually comes off considerably worse than the driver. Being dangerous is not just about causing accidents, it's also about the amount of damage you do when you do.

But if you'd done the course, you'd have still had to pay £100 for the course, and the points wouldn't have gone on in the first place. But it would have been a day in your life that you wouldnt get back.

As others have said OP you won’t be eligible for the speed awareness course as you were going too fast- 1mph over and you’ll be going to court too instead of being issued the points. I speak from experience as I too was caught out 43 in a 30mph. £100 fine and 3x points with my insurance going up £500 a year.
don’t beat yourself up about it though. Mistakes happen

These are typically the cut offs. Obviously depends on area and police force.

There is no one that hasn't sped at some point by accident. It happens to the best of us. You've held a pretty spectacular record for no points so don't beat yourself up. I once had 6 points on my licence (for a very short time as one set was about to expire) both due to my own idiocy but both fairly excusable. Accelerating juts before a national speed limit (no houses, solely grass verges) from a 30, van hiding behind a corner and it got me at 47 and a country road where it was 40 going to a national and I was going 65 (same grass verges and no houses or pedestrians) so I felt both were completely fair. I've changed my driving style since (so wait for the actual sign and do my best to stick to the limit) but even I will speed occasionally and if there's a van at that precise moment I'll get some points.

I have been on several. It’s not a big deal and definitely better than points imo.

The OP will not be going to court (unless they choose to!)

I did the course last week and we absolutely did have to reflect on why we were speeding and how to avoid it in future.

No- my point was- if it was 1mph over so 44 it would have been a court summons. At least that’s what my police letter said in Wiltshire 🤷🏻‍♀️