So, ‘a friend’ of mine is attending one of these tomorrow. What should I he expect?

I have a ‘friend’ who is doing this on Friday morning, so I to am intrigued as to what ‘he’ has to look forward to

I love how the denizens of STW like to roll out these obvious transparent lies.

You expect us to believe that members of this forum have friends?

(-:

Quite interesting. No preaching on the one a friend** of mine attended, though there were some overly anal things (use an auto gearbox manually around town to ensure you’re aware of engine revving etc) and a bit too much emphasis on “ah, but there’s a reason all the cameras are there – just trust us on this”.

Overall much better than expected – though expectations were very low.

**I say friend. I mean acquaintance. Well, sort of a bloke I met at a party once. When I say ‘party’, I suppose a glass of Blue Nun with the local Neighbourhood Watch does count as a party, right?

Did one a couple of weeks ago, was not as bad as expecting, the guy leading the course was up for a laugh and happy to answer questions or discuss anything. No preaching but useful tips, and I think we all came away having learnt things. All in all better than the 3 points.

I’ve done two 😯

Comments as above. Disappointingly, the one five or six years after the second hadn’t changed a bit.

Try not to be too defensive or cynical and you might learn something. I did one a couple of years ago and it has definitely had an impact on my driving. It was much better than I was expecting.

I thought you only got one go at it? You must be an anomaly.

Yeah, it really had an impact on mine for between four and five years 😀

I think you’re allowed to do one if it’s been at least three years since your last one.

What’s the qualifying criteria for these things? Is it down to the whim of the prosecution service or something?

I’ve had “a number” of SP30s over the years (though none for a few years now) and never been offered one.

To the OP, It depends where you’re doing it, lancs do 2 hrs in the classroom and 2 hrs in a car with an instructor. Cumbria, for example, do 4 hours in the classroom. It’s all pretty straightforward stuff, no telling off, no preaching as such. Stopping distances in different road conditions, how to spot the speed limit quickly, on the road you’re on, type stuff.

The worst part is that there will probably be a bloke there who’s a complete cynical know-it-all and another bloke who complains and whines endlessly throughout the whole day about the injustice of his specific indiscretion.

Cougar, not all areas offer the option, altho I seem to recall the lady running my course said it was going to be offered nationwide. Also, depends on the circumstances of your case, mine was in Lancs (who do offer it), I was caught doing 36 in a 30 zone. It’s been said that it also depends on your age, certainly there were no youngsters on my course, not sure if that’s hearsay tho.

I think it’s dependent on how much over the limit you were. I was 46 in a 40. Not concentrating driving through Ings – which I have done on a frequent basis without being flashed since they were put in. 👿

Ooh, Geoff, you naughty naughty man. 😐

Child’s face, etc etc…

Don’t need to spell it out, do I?

I went thinking ‘I know what I did wrong, I did 35 in a 30 limit’…
But they don’t really go on about that, they do tell you loads of stuff that you should already know if you actually read the highway code.
Like rules for speed limit when there are no signs
Like tips for people who are driving too close behind ‘they have no friends and are lonely’
Like however good your brakes are, your reaction speed of c 0.6 secs means you’ll travel 15m before you even begin to slow down. You could well take someone out in that time…
I generally drive with much more thought than before – and I was a pretty sensible driver already. (although clearly not sensible enough!)

Oh, and they gave us a warning: if someone famous happens to be in your group, don’t even think about taking photos with your phone 🙂 Mine was in South Manchester so I suspect they have more than their fair share of footballers and WAGs on their courses!

I was never able to get out of 3rd gear

But nobody likes my driving anyway 😈

another bloke who complains and whines endlessly throughout the whole day about the injustice of his specific indiscretion.

That’ll be me tomorrow 😀

(not really – do the crime, do the time an all that)

Ooh, Geoff, you naughty naughty man.

I know, I know – *hangs head in shame.

*reminds himself to sponsor Fred / Bullheart

You mean you jolly well have not already??

Far more serious crime. 😐

http://www.justgiving.com/TeamBullheart

I was caught by a mobile at Laneshawbridge nr Colne. Should have known better really, they’re always there.

mine, I mean my friends was for 81mph, on a near empty stretch of the M4, about 7pm on a Thursday evening, not complaining or anything, but no one seemed bothered by the people chatting on phones whilst driving, oh and in answer to the I thought you could only do one of these courses, the paperwork I got said that you can only qualify for the course once every three years

go with an open mind and you may leave a better driver, go in knowing it all and you’ll be that guy.

i genuinely left pleased i had been

I was in a car with WCA once and he drove sensibly well within the speed limit. 😮

– what to expect?

Boredom and lies.

HTH

Dunno what the criteria for these is, a mate of mine got one for 65 in a 50, yet someone else I know got an SP30 for 60 in a 50 from the same force

36 in a 30 for me, and doing one early July

4 hours in a classroom it seems, but at least I could choose a Saturday one

My mum (!) did a course in London. She said it was 80% kids under 25, 20% everyone else. The first question was “what causes and aggravates accidents most?”. The next hour was spent with the instructor trying to convince the kids that the answer was not “old peoples cos they drive well slow and dangerous so you’re right up behind and they’re blind innit”.

I did one and tere was a 60 year old bus driver on the course. He had never driven a car, only buses. He had no idea what any roadsigns meant and had only the vaguest knowledge about the rules of the road after ‘drive on the left’.
The instructor had to stop the practical bit due to fear of death. An eye-opener all right, it explained a lot about what I’ve seen with buses.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6Rln05LZy0[/video]

never been offered one, doubt I’d go even if I was, load of ole tosh. It’s pretty obvious what happens if you don’t look where you’re going.
Kev

It’s pretty obvious what happens if you don’t look where you’re going.

And yet…

I don’t know what the criteria is to be offered one of these courses instead of a fine and points but I do know this…

My mate got caught at 152 in a 70.

He didn’t get offered a course. ❓

never been offered one, doubt I’d go even if I was, load of ole tosh. It’s pretty obvious what happens if you don’t look where you’re going.

You’d rather take the 3 points and the £60 fine than pay £80 for a speed awareness course? You’re already in for the £60, so to put it another way, for £20 you get to learn something and avoid 3 points….not something the rational person would turn down.

never been offered one, doubt I’d go even if I was, load of ole tosh.

still, it’s a pretty easy decision to pay £60 to sit in a room for a few hours rather than pay a £60 fine, get points on your license and have your insurance premium increased.

I’m a very slow typist. bit hungover is my only excuse. that, and one of my hands being busy holding a cup of coffee.

And the cost has gone up since I did mine.

Not all insurance premiums increase for first offenders 3 points.

Not all insurance premiums increase for first offenders 3 points.

True, but many do. And if you already have points on your license, then an additional 3 will definitely be premium-unfriendly.

B.A.Nana I second that a complete pri*k on the one I did moaned so much and cracked so many irritating wisecracks that the course overran! Mine was all classroom based and it has had an impact on my driving… although as it overran I had to speed on the motorway to get to my next appointment on time!!

Bizarrely putting my dad on my insurance reduces it by a 100 pounds. He has 3 points I have none.

still, it’s a pretty easy decision to pay £60 to sit in a room for a few hours rather than pay a £60 fine, get points on your license and have your insurance premium increased

How much does a day off work unpaid cost you? Pretty easy decision to pay the £60 and take the points and slight insurance hit.

I’m sure if I did go on one I’d keep my mouth shut, but inside I’d be the cynical know-it-all. The thing is, from what I can work out they go on about the issues with speeding in 30 and 40 limits where I don’t, and they’d have had a damn hard job explaining to me why doing 57mph in a rural 50 limit which used to be a 70 limit and hasn’t actually had any accidents on that particular bit (even when it was a 70) is unsafe.