[Closed] Take the points and fine or the driver awareness course?

[quote=rocketman ]The course lasts 4 hours the points are 3 years

The 4 hours is real, the 3 years is theoretical if you're lucky like me 😉

Don't be so righteous Mike. You've never sped? It matters not that it's a fairy tale, the point is relevant.

+1 for doing the course - you'll learn lots.
I'd like to see it made compulsory for all drivers every 2 years... it's a great reminder of your responsibilities and just basic awareness of how to drive properly

cinnamon_girl >>
When the opportunity arose I educated them about cycling and safe overtaking.

And kidded yourself anyone actually listened/learned??

I have, been caught taken the punishment and education. Never really hidden behind the I'm allowed to do 34 without being prosecuted. It's the really dangerous bit where people think like that.

[i]Don't be so righteous Mike. You've never sped?[/i]

If he drives 30 in a 30 I've never seen him round these parts!

An old lolly-pop man was killed down the main road past my house (by a "young female driver"). They've put up new bright signs "This is a 30 limit" and still people fly down it at 40-50. Sometimes I put my cruise on at 30ish and people get so close behind you'd think they want to ram me off the road.

I'd take the course but I have a high tolerance of bellends and bullshit. It seems like the sort of thing that could break a man, if he lacked such tolerance.

boblo - Member

Really ~66mph GPS says. No excuse but I was massively distracted by some screaming and shouting in the car....

Distracted AND speeding eh?

[img] [/img]

Good luck finding an insurer who's not interested in SP30s

Already have thanks. No increase in premium when I reported to them. I have also seen reports where insurance companies ask about awareness courses and premiums increasing as a result.

I suppose each case is different depending on the insurer and person covered.

And kidded yourself anyone actually listened/learned??

Dezzie - c'mon, an old cynic like me??? I provided the entertainment for a bit!

[i] It seems like the sort of thing that could break a man, if he lacked such tolerance.[/i]

Hi! 🙂

Yeah cruise control set to 30 in a 30 zone is always good fun. It's amazing how many people you get behind you 😈

Already have thanks

I did the course a few weeks ago. Wasn't expecting much but I found it informative and came away with a lot.

One thing they did say is that cameras don't discriminate. If you are doing over the speed limit you are speeding. If you get pulled over for speeding by a police officer he or she can use discretion. The cameras wont do that.

I learned a lot about stuff I had forgotten, ate a fair few biscuits and was entertained by a few of the other attendees who really could not see what they had done wrong. Plus its only 4 hours so you could do it as a half day from work.

I've seen various comments about the quality of courses. Do they provide for feedback at the end?

Do the course. I got one on a Saturday morning. You'll lose the will to live, but hey... better than points, which as we all know, despite Brucies protestations... don't make prizes

When Iturne up, I sat down, the bloke next to me looked a bit mystified. The bloke running the course said 'he's Polish and doesn't speak any English, the translator's not turned up, could you help him out a bit?"

I pointed out my Polish wasn't the best, either. The poor sod sat there for hours, mystified as to what everyone was going on about

Good luck finding an insurer who's not interested in SP30s

I've never found one that IS bothered by an SP30. Never made the slightest difference at all.

Did you actually post up on pepiooo?
There's lots of tales of people who claim they were doing 32/33 and got a fine yet no ones ever seen an actual ticket. I'm sure they'd like a look at it if nothing else.

rocketman - Member

Already have thanks

Congratulations. Who would this be?

Direct Line - Do you need my policy number?

[i]I had one rage quit. Lots of confused old ladies, conforming-to-stereotype BMW driving rep. [/i]

On the one I did you could pretty much divide the audience into two groups; one lot who knew they were speeding and were just pi55ed that they got caught and the other lot who didn't actually know what the speed limit was.

And this was confirmed by the multiple-choice electronic voting...

Do the course. Meeting some of the genuine headcases that are driving around really does wonders for your attitude to driving. One boy racer at mine, most of the rest were arseholes who deemed speed limits to be an inconvenience.

OP - it sounds like you've spent more time arguing the toss about this on the internet than you'll spend doing the course. Just do the course.

I have been informed and its now a case of 1 mph over and there is no leeway by them, Even though this isn't public knowledge yet and many widely consider it the law I'm told its coming country wide no tolerance . So the speed camera on Oughtibridge caught me there is no wiggle room.

There is something on the Internet about this and i read it once but cant be bothered to find it again.

Speeding is an absolute offence, meaning that you are libable for prosecution if caught 1mph above the speed lLimit. It is at the discretion of the Police whether or not you will be prosecuted for doing 1mph in excess of the speed limit. The issue is of tolerance of the measuring equipment which is why 10% is usually the 'rule'

So yes you can be done if you travel 1mph in excess of the speed Limit.

a quick Google Comes up with this http://www.pepipoo.com/Basics.htm

[quote="MartynS"]There's lots of tales of people who claim they were doing 32/33 and got a fine yet no ones ever seen an actual ticket. I'm sure they'd like a look at it if nothing else.
Someone on the internet, making a claim about something, without offering a shred of evidence ? Must be a new phenomenon. I've never come across it before.

😉

Direct Line - Do you need my policy number?

It does seem odd that the premium should remain the same despite proving you are a greater risk. Kind of implies they were overcharging before. When I had my points in my reckless younger days it was definitely more. It was also a pain to get insurance as it was harder to get an online quote.

The issue is of tolerance of the measuring equipment which is why 10% is usually the 'rule'

It's really not, modern measuring equipment is very accurate. They don't generally prosecute for +1mph because if they did the system would disintegrate. They can't process that many people.

No excuse but I was massively distracted by some screaming and shouting in the car....

"Driving without due care and attention" then.

I'd do the course. If you're a rubbish driver you'll learn a lot, if you're not you'll be bored to tears and amazed and the incompetence of everyone else in the room. Either way, it's preferable to having three points on your licence for years.

rocketman - Member

Direct Line - Do you need my policy number?

it must be a special policy because they were definitely loading SP30 convictions just two months ago

Aye, ok. Look it up if you must, I take it you work for them being such an expert and all?

Policy Number: 101/8008135

Have elected to take the points and £100.

Yes, definitely 'without due care and attention'. My wife decided her view of driving was more relevant than the drivers and made so much noise about it I couldn't think straight. Really. No excuse though. I drive almost everywhere on cruise these days to absolutely avoid speeding and was very disappointed.

On the one I did you could pretty much divide the audience into two groups; one lot who knew they were speeding and were just pi55ed that they got caught and the other lot who didn't actually know what the speed limit was.

That, plus various posters admitting they learned aspects of the Highway Code on the course is just further confirmation to me that [i]all[/i] drivers should have mandatory re-tests every 5 years or so.

It would make a massive difference to the quality of driving on the roads.

[i]It does seem odd that the premium should remain the same despite proving you are a greater risk. Kind of implies they were overcharging before. When I had my points in my reckless younger days it was definitely more. It was also a pain to get insurance as it was harder to get an online quote. [/i]

In years gone by it was an easy way of looking at risk but now I'd have thought they had more sophisticated measures as IMO it isn't speed that causes accidents, but [b]inappropriate[/b] speed.

[quote=nickjb ]It does seem odd that the premium should remain the same despite proving you are a greater risk.

You're suggesting that being caught doing an offence which everybody does proves you are a greater risk? Like PP and rene, my insurance company didn't take that view (LV FWIW, though I think the first time I got caught I was still with Direct Line).

You're suggesting that being caught doing an offence which everybody does proves you are a greater risk

Regardless of whether or not you're a greater risk,

An insurance company now has a reason to put up your premiums without impacting their competitiveness (as they all have the same reason). Why wouldn't they take more money off you?

As I'm sat here waiting for the wife I just put some numbers into money supermarket. Adding an SP30 added between £17 and £22 to the policy YMMV. Not much but some

Costing up the effect of one SP30 kind of misses the point tbh, unless you're certain you'll never get any more points. It's not so much the impact today, as the loss of the safety net.

Surely, having done the course you will be a lesser risk. Otherwise what is the point of the course?

The point of the course is to make people money. Nothing like a bit of profit to go along with the justice.

You now also have to inform your insurance you have attended a speed awareness course.

I just read it on the go compare www whilst seeing if my premium would go up.

A search on Google seems to indicate that most insurers will be jumping on that moneymaker too.

[quote=nickjb ]Two reasons, not everybody does it

Wow, you really think so? OK 99% of people do it if that makes you happier.

so you have shown you are in the category of those that do speed

Along with 99% of drivers.

and you got caught which shows a [b]possible[/b] lack of awareness.

Not all cameras are yellow boxes which you can see before they nab you. Though in any case insurance companies aren't actually interested in details like that, they're just interested in whether people with a single SP30 are more likely to have a crash, and presumably for certain demographics the answer is that they aren't.

Not putting your premium up for your current policy is not the same as it not increasing your premiums for the period of the points.

Sure - so I tried getting quotes with and without an SP30, and it made NO difference to my quoted premium. Those suggesting your premiums will go up, what was the typical difference you saw when you did that?

[quote=Cougar ]Regardless of whether or not you're a greater risk,
An insurance company now has a reason to put up your premiums without impacting their competitiveness (as they all have the same reason). Why wouldn't they take more money off you?

Because it does impact their competitiveness if the stats say that your risk is no higher and another company is prepared to ignore it because of that. They don't operate as a cartel, one company is bound to see a gap in the market to provide cheaper quotes to people with an SP30 who are no higher risk, and the whole overcharging thing falls down.

OK 99% of people do it

Not all cameras are yellow boxes which you can see before they nab you.

Those suggesting your premiums will go up, what was the typical difference you saw when you did that?

The course - I did it one evening between 5.00pm and 9.00pm in Chesterfield. It was interesting

The course is interesting, I've done two! (In my defence one 34/30, one 72/60 overtaking a truck who, it turned out, was also overtaking a camera 🙁 )

I don't consider myself a boy racer and I endeavour to stick to 30/40/50 limits. Presumably all those preaching on here have NEVER let the needle creep over.

To all the people having a go at the Op:

So when they continued asking him , he
lifted himself up and said unto them, He
that is without sin among you, let him be
the first to cast a stone at her. So when
they continued asking him , he lifted up
himself, and said unto them, He that is
without sin among you, let him first cast a
stone at her.

This^. Fairy tale or not, the Bible is the basis for most common law I believe?

I took the points. Zero increase in premium. Clean licence now. Didn't waste any holidays!

aracer - Member

Points unless you've got holiday days you don't know what to do with, or you can buy a day's holiday for less than £15. Unless that is you already have points, in which case some more might affect your premiums.

A few people have mentioned having to take holiday to do the course...

I doubt all areas are the same, but I was surprised when I did a speed awareness course that there were so many time slots.
I did mine in an evening during the week & didn't have to take any holiday. There were also loads of venues too, so if I couldn't have got to one near home in time (I live 40 miles from work) there were plenty of venues just down the road from my work place & on a couple on the way home too.

Mine was an AA course; don't know if they all are. The bloke reckoned that originally they offered the course as something that you could pay up to do, just as a 'driver improvement' thing, rather than linked to having been caught speeding. You still had to pay for it.
No one did it, so it ended up getting linked to getting done for speeding.

FWIW, I didn't mind going but am not sure that I learnt a great deal.
The most surprising thing on the course was how little others seemed to know about driving/speed limits in general. There was only a couple of us able to answer most of the questions and some of the people just had blank expressions through the entire course.
I thought there'd be more 'it wasn't fair' whinging, but there didn't seem to be.
I was caught doing 34 in a 30 & the highest speeder on the course was doing 38 in a 30. The trainer was surprised that she actually got offered the course, given how far over she was.