Funny thread.

I’m booked to do an Advance Driving Course in late March, should be a giggle.
I’m doing it in the main because I think I drive really conservative, this should prove whether my impression is the same as the instructor.

Even down to the assumptions made about those who disagree with their idealogy!

Yeah, people assume I’m a nervous driver because I like to take it easy.

If I pass you on your bike, you’d be happy that I drive the way I do.

I hold D1 and D1E (minibus and trailer), tested. Like pcv or hgv tests its a higher standard of driving, tested for an hour.

I hold those too, came as part of the regular test I took.

Anyone (or almost anyone) can pass an advanced driving course and still choose to drive badly.

I think on the whole, if I’m to share roads with people driving badly I’d rather they were ones who had passed an advanced test rather than simply inept.

matt_outandabout – Member

The issue with driver refresh courses or improvement courses of making it worth people’s while.

I hold D1 and D1E (minibus and trailer), tested. Like pcv or hgv tests its a higher standard of driving, tested for an hour. I took IAM training as well, and worked training or drivers at the outdoor centre, with retired traffic officer.

My insurers are not interested in any of this, and never have. The colour of my car according to them is more important than hours of additional driver training and tested skills.

Your premium isn’t just about your skill as a driver, it’s about the likelihood of a claim.

I guess there aren’t enough drivers with extra training around for the insurers to look at reducing premiums on that basis (I presume you have shopped around for that?).

slightly off topic, but I had a French Rozzer point a machine gun at me last week for having my phone in my hand whilst in the car (sat stationary in a massive Eurotunnel customs queue)

I normally use the ‘are their trousers tucked into their boots’ guide as to whether there is any scope for arguing the toss, but quickly decided he was ‘right’ in that instance

I think on the whole, if I’m to share roads with people driving badly I’d rather they were ones who had passed an advanced test rather than simply inept.

Agreed. On average they should be better drivers. But it doesn’t necessarily translate to a lower insurance risk. Attitude is as important as ability. Given the choice between an advanced driver with a couple of SP30s and a crash over the last 5 yrs and a bog standard driving test driver who was crash and points free I think insurers would assess the 2nd as the lower risk.

Maybe insurers have found that the advanced driver test doesn’t translate to a lower claim history?

Mrs Funkmaster used to be an advanced driving instructor and has done RoSPA, Diamond advance and another driving course I can’t remember. Her insurance went up a bit the year after she took them. Made me giggle.

sat stationary in a massive Eurotunnel customs queue

Probably more concerned with you videoing or photographing the facilities and processes. That could have ended very badly for you. If it’s like our Border Control where there are lots of signs saying no mobile use on the approach to the checkpoint.

the time it takes to get anywhere near the actual border post from where I was parked I could have captured every detail in an oil painting and had notes engraved around the outside by a team of medieval monks…….but wasn’t about to start arguing with him on these points

slightly off topic, but I had a French Rozzer point a machine gun at me last week for having my phone in my hand whilst in the car (sat stationary in a massive Eurotunnel customs queue)[/I]

It’s because you’re a commoner, anyone with any standing would’ve been hands free 😉

How about we simply fine everyone £100 for each mph over the posted speed limit?
Allow 10% margin of error for Italian speedometers ,and to discourage speedo gazing ( fanaarrrr )
Then 43mph in a 30mph limit = £1000 fine
90mph on the motorway = £1300

This surely would discourage excessive speed, cant pay ? No problem sir, just hand over your driving licence for 1 week per MPH over the 10% posted limit instead.
Then, for example 38mph in a 30 limit = 5 weeks of public transport.
82mph on a single carriageway A road = 16 week ban.

Why penalise all those millions of people who have safely broken the law today? No one got hurt.

I really don’t understand the speeding issue, as proven it isn’t speed that is the main cause of road accidents, but 5h1t driving.

Put a bit more effort into this and you’d save more injuries and deaths. And tbh since we have pretty much the safest roads (and have had for years/decades of any comparable country) I don’t see it as an issue.

I shall remember that one to use in my defence if I get caught wandering around the local school with my automatic rifle.

Why penalise all those millions of people who have safely broken the law today? No one got hurt.

By safely broken the law I take it you actually mean not getting caught? Nobody would get hurt if I broke in to your shed and half inched your bikes, still wouldn’t make it okay though would it? Or would you be happy as long as I didn’t get caught?

People saying shit driving is the issue and not speed, surely shit driving at high speeds is even worse?

I shall remember that one to use in my defence if I get caught wandering around the local school with my automatic rifle.

And out come the ridiculous comparisons.
It’s not iilegal to take a car into a public space in the UK.
How many legal gun owners in the USA habitually shoot innocents.
How much is the Daily Mail these days?

Because we give everyone ( pretty much ) a driving licence. Its an unfortunate fact that not everyone has the same mental capacity , alertness, concentration levels, and commmon sense as you and I.
The law and speed limits are not IQ assesed therefore have to be posted and policed to the “lowest half-wit teenager in a works van who , after digging holes all day is intent on face-timing his mates to arrange a mid week drinkathon, whilst smoking a spliff” levels of safety
Thats why.

It’s illegal to break the speed limit, which is what you were apparently doing “without hurting anybody”, hence a fine comparison.
How many legal gun owners in the USA manage to own their guns without hurting anybody? How many innocents killed on the UK roads every year?

BTW I reckon the DM is on your side, not mine, if you were attempting to imply anything by that.

BTW I reckon the DM is on your side, not mine, if you were attempting to imply anything by that.

I’m not using ridiculous sensationalism.
Perhaps we could look at relaxing the gun carrying laws too, Americans seem to carry guns pretty well without killing everyone.
Relaxing the speeding laws in this country would make me drive more slowly, I’d hate it if any old muppet dinked my pride and joy.
It’s an Audi, dontchaknow.

The law and speed limits are not IQ assesed therefore have to be posted and policed to the “lowest half-wit teenager in a works van who , after digging holes all day is intent on face-timing his mates to arrange a mid week drinkathon, whilst smoking a spliff” levels of safety

Today’s idiot was a middle aged fella in an Octavia crawling at about 50mph in the middle lane of an otherwise empty M56 while having face stuck in his phone screen.
#oblivious.

Sorry C’pn – can you remind what the issue is?

You were going too fast for the speed awareness course (46mph limit), so is the only issue the amount? Your tone as this has progressed changes towards being unhappy at the offence itself? Fair cop or not?

I dont fully understand how income affects the size of the fine – is this a backhanded way of saying your earn a very large amount of money?!? 😉

Sorry C’pn – can you remind what the issue is?

Apology accepted.
Not sure what the rest is about though. You seem to be extrapolating stuff what ain’t there.

i am just lost….

I guess so. 🙁

If anyone wants to see what life is like without speed limits, drive on a busy autobahn. It’s horrifying at times.

Oh, I dunno about that…
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DzsdSWTMug[/video]

Go on, try it. Chewkw did and failed miserably. So much of Warrington looks the same

here

That’s the baby.
Were you sat in the van with bearnecessities?

Were you sat in the van with bearnecessities?

Bear said Birchwood, but to me, that’s the other side of the M6.

Sadly, there’s a reason why they are watching that section of road.

(and despite what the Warrington Guardian say, it’s not Birchwood)