I’m booked on one in January at Westmoreland County Agricultural Society, so we’ll be doing it on a tractor. It’s 4 hours apparently, so what do they do? Do they show you pictures of squashed people for 4 hours?, hopefully not, I can’t even stand watching hospital dramas on telly.

As you would expect, it won’t teach me anything, I’m already a much better driver than you. So, I guess I’ll have to sit at the back with my arms folded, tutting and rolling the eyes.

I’m already a much better driver than you

but not quite good enough to not get caught, eh?

I did one around 3 or 4 years ago. Keep an open mind and you might find it interesting.

As you would expect, it won’t teach me anything

Yep, there were a few of those. Interesting that cold hard facts and statistics pretty much shut them up every time they started. 🙂

Yeah I’ve done one in Swindon, it wasn’t that bad actually. Watch some old adverts about speeding being bad mmmkay, talk about why you were speeding, why it’s bad, stopping distances, speed limits in built up areas etc… All pretty informal and better than getting 3 points.

I was gutted there was no tea and cake though 🙁

I did one in March and, TBH, it wasn’t that bad – maybe even useful!! They did do a little bit at the start about killing people but it really wasn’t much. More of it was about hazard awareness and so on.

They two guys running the course were a right old pair, though. They spent a looooong time questioning me and reminding me exactly how harsh the penalty of pretending to be someone else was. Was really starting to get on my nerves and, if it wasn’t for the fact I simply wanted it all over with, I would have made a complaint.

Rachel

I did one last year.

It was actually quite interesting and I’ve changed my driving habits as a result. The only down sides were a) It was a lovely day and b) I had to spend 5 hours sat next Mr Fantastic. The guy was the biggest dick-head that I’ve ever met. I think that he was actually employed by the police as a deterrent against re-offending. If you can’t do the time don’t do the crime.

I did one in Swindon too. It was actually ok, not too preachy.

the only time I’ll ever go on one is when there is no room left on my license for three more points. Hopefully that will never happen.

Kev

As above really, try not to think you are above it all. Suck it up and be happy avoiding 3 points.

Kev…daft attitude really…and you’ll only be offered one for your first offense

It’s just a slightly long and boring recap of parts of the highway code.

I got tea/biscuits in Manc.

Rachel, were you on the course because you’d been speeding, or pretending to speed? Or pretending to be someone else who actually had been speeding?

By the way, Keva, you don’t get offered a speed awareness course if you’ve already got 9 points, as far as I know. Tends to be those with a cleanish license who were only just over the limit.

They spent a looooong time questioning me and reminding me exactly how harsh the penalty of pretending to be someone else was.

😆 eh? who were you pretending to be?

Do you go out for a drive with an instructor and he tells you what a p1ss poor driver you are?

Do you go out for a drive with an instructor and he tells you what a p1ss poor driver you are?

No. Nor do you get preached to either.

The one thing that stayed with me was the bit where they go through the ripple effect of a serious car accident. Dunno why… But seriously, it certainly changed my driving habits quite a bit, as well as making me think more about what speed I’m doing and where I’m doing it. A bit of growing up since has changed them too though.

All “classroom” based for mine in Sheffield. We had one chap, a sort of super advanced motorist, taken every test there was, who went through speed awareness prompts. Must have been 40 people there in total, and you do some group work deciding what is the correct speed for a particular picture you were given.
Much better than getting three points on the licence.

@B.A.Nana – no-one – but they thought I was, I guess!

Rachel

It wasn’t a ‘we suspect you’re taking points for your hubby, the bad bad boy’ scenario then?

anotherdeadhero – I rather suspect not!

I did one almost 2 years ago now.
It wasn’t too bad, they do tell you some lies though to make you slow down. Some of what they tell you is genuinely useful.
I still drove away well in excess of the speed limit 😯

Do you get the option of points or the course?

It depends what speed you were doing as to whether you are offered the course. I was doing 35 in a 30.

Also, you can take the course once every three years, should the need arise.

Oh, and anotherdeadhero, no – I wasn’t pretending to be my (non-existant) husband…

Do you get the option of points or the course?

I did…48mph in a 40mph zone. First time caught.

I viewed it as £60 and 3 points….or £60 (course fee) and no points and no insurance declaration.

Do you go out for a drive with an instructor and he tells you what a p1ss poor driver you are?

I did this, you probably won’t though if just 4 hrs. Mine was morning in workshop, afternoon in car with instructor.

He was a bit Alan Partridge but still I thought I’d got a lot out of it and learned some better driving habits.

Until I got another ticket a month or so later. Only my second in 20 yrs of driving!

BTW – I did 40 in a 30 during the observed driving bit.

😀

you’ll only be offered one for your first offense

Not so.

Can’t remember if I actually still had points on my license when I went on one, but it definitely wasn’t my first offense.

The guy running the course said it was only offered to older people who were only very slightly over the limit. They didn’t bother trying to educate boy racers or people who were clearly speeding as a conscious decision.

The course did make an impact on me and I have definitely changed my driving habits, although being first on the scene to a serious RTC and having to open the car door on an unconscious, fitting, bleeding youth has possibly had a sobering effect too. And maybe getting older and being a father has made me think more about my driving too.

I did get sat next to an utterly unrepentant, knows-better-than-everyone-else type though.

We were shown a film of family and friends talking about an accident that happened locally. Four youths had been in something like a Citroen C1 doing around 100 mph on a dual carriage-way at 3 a.m. when the car flipped and went into Poole harbour. Can’t remember if any of them survived, but I think not.

Anyway, Mr know-it-all next to me said “that’s all bull$hit, I know one of the family and it was a mechanical problem, the gear box locked up”

I tried to point out to him that maybe if the heavily laden car had been traveling a little slower, then maybe the gear box “locking up” wouldn’t have had such tragic consequences, but he wouldn’t have it.

Unfortunately, as with many things in life, people seem to make up their minds with very little reference to the evidence and will twist anything they are told to fit/confirm their own theories.

We seem to live in an age where people place a higher value on opinion than knowledge.

I did one in August after getting caught on way to SSEC, bit surprised really, as seemed to be crawling in traffic along that road.

I was doing 36 in a 30 limit and that is the sort of offence they use these courses for. Going with an open mind it was OK, and we got tea / coffee and biscuits in Derby.

dooosuk – Member
Do you get the option of points or the course?
I did…48mph in a 40mph zone. First time caught.
I viewed it as £60 and 3 points….or £60 (course fee) and no points and no insurance declaration.
POSTED 19 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Actually you should mention it to Insurance company as it’s still a moral risk. You were still speeding therefore breaking the law. It’s not rated on as much as points if at all.

…… *waits for mr know-it-all to say otherwise.

I did one almost a decade ago when they were trialling the scheme to see if it was worthwhile. For careless rather than speeding but pretty much the same deal: points and a fine, or take the course. It was very useful and I changed my driving habits as a result. There was no telling people off or anything, it was all pretty balanced and fair. I would recommend it over just taking the points every time.

I didn’t declare it as the five-o said I din’t have to

I did get sat next to an utterly unrepentant, knows-better-than-everyone-else type though.

You know, I’m beginning to wonder if they use an actor – every course (including mine) seems to have one. It’s nice seeing them proved wrong over and over again though 🙂

i learnt a lot when i went although they tried to mark me down as a non-attendance due to the fact that the parking they had arranged for us didn’t exist and i had to park 1/2 mile away!

Did one 18 month since and it was useful. Interactive, discussion and informative with stats and data about RTAs etc. Out of the 15 or so of us only one got obnoxious about it all, think he was a taxi driver…I was ‘caught’ in a different locality and was allowed to do mine more local so that was good too. Incidently I got another warning only 6 months after from my local area (I dont speeeeed neither – honest), so I guess these agencies dont share info, or I am very lucky to be overlooked so soon after the first one. Both events were a result from the yellow speed cameras…

I’ve never been offered one.
Over ten years two times were for being a fair bit over the motorway limit, one was for about 56 in a temporary 50 and one was 70 on a NSL single carriageway (overtaking a numpty doing 40mph on a straight with a queue of 10 people behind them).
I think my last 3 points have gone now anyway.

i’ve been on two, each time they’ve really worked, helped me to become a much calmer, safer and more aware driver

Weren’t a few posters here preaching about how bad speeding is when I mentioned “spirited” driving a while back?

Points to date – none
Times stopped by the cops for speeding – zero.

Course does sound sensible though.

Points to date – none
Times stopped by the cops for speeding – zero.

Well done for not speeding then, or have you just not been caught?

Just use a fairly useful technique called “observation.”

Anyone that says they don’t speed it talking utter BS.

i take it you mean ‘yes’ you do speed. Deliberately?

Yes all the time. In fact I just drove at 100 past a school just to upset the locals… 🙄

Mat if there’s one thing that’s infinite here, it’s sanctimoney.

Anyone that says they don’t speed it talking utter BS.

Perhaps true, but i certainly don’t think I relish it as much as you seem to. I definitely don’t think it is something to be proud of. I do my best to stay within the limit. Sometimes, i admit, I’m not so focused and do err.

But, i think a lot of this is a result of the awareness courses. It sounds like you (and those anywhere near where you drive) would benefit from you doing one of these courses. Hope you get caught soon.