Speed Awareness Course

[StevenM]

I am going on my first speed awareness course today 2-6. Not looking forward to it but much better than 3 points. Has anyone else been on one of these?

[SpikeOne]

I did one a couple of months ago.

To be honest, I did it because at the time, the local authorities had run out of money and were canceling them and refunding the fee and wiping the slate clean, and I thought I might get off scott free. However, for reasons that I won't go into, I ended up paying twice, which will teach me to be so devious, and I had to do it anyway. It's actually worth it though. It's only a couple of hours and they're not at all judgmental.

It's all solid facts, and you do get free coffee and biscuits.

There were some detail that I would argue with. The fact that ABS gives a longer net stopping distance than non ABS, which I don't believe for one second, and that modern cars don't brake as quickly as older ones, but in the main, as long as you keep your head down and don't argue too much it's actually quite interesting, and fun too.

One word of warning though. Don't turn up late; not even a millisecond.

They won't let you in, you won't get your money back, and they'll also sting you for the £60 fine and the 3 points too!

Just take it on the chin and enjoy the experience - I did....

[johnp]

I've never done one and have intention on doing one.

[Zed]

I've never done one and have intention on doing one.

I believe if you do minor speeding they invite you along to one

[gn2]

< ABS gives a longer net stopping distance than non ABS > < modern cars don't brake as quickly as older ones >

Two sweeping generalisations there, I would suggest that neither of them can be considered 100% correct in all cases.
For normal road use having ABS is definitely an advantage, of that there can be no question.
Braking perfomance depends on so many factors, to make a statement like that about modern cars is just nonsensical.
There's just no way that my old mark1 Micra had anything like as good brakes as my current mark 3 Micra for example.

[MrGrumpy]

I did one the other week...nothing to worry about. They are meant to be informative and moderately relaxed rather than some sort of punitive browbeating! Didn't get too much crap in mine - no sh!t about ABS taking longer than non ABS - they even pointed out that in general stopping distances were somewhat less than the Highway code distances, even in the dry! (though thinking distances are probably longer than in Highway Code).

I guess I learn't a few things....basically how alarmingly good modern speed cameras are for one thing! They also did a simulated Hazard Awareness thing (like on the test), and I found that I wasn't as observant as I thought I was!!!

[SpikeOne]

I've never done one and have intention on doing one.

Rarely do any of us have an intention to do one.
As has been suggested, if caught speeding, you get an invitation which cost about the same as the fine, (£81 .v. £60), but doesn't give you points.
But you can only do one in any three year period, after that, it's points and fine, like it or lump it.
It's supposed to be mild speeders only, but we had people on our day that were caught doing 44mph in a 30, which I don't consider minor, and even one or two with 9 points already. Mine was 34!

[newscooter]

I did one some years ago, a morning of theory then lunch and then two hours on the road with an advanced instructor, it was very worthwhile. The current ones are just revenue streams :- half a day of talk and off you go paying your cash into the pot. No points on the licence altho' there is talk of the insurance industry asking if you have been on one of these courses.

[MrGrumpy]

I did one some years ago, a morning of theory then lunch and then two hours on the road with an advanced instructor, it was very worthwhile. The current ones are just revenue streams :- half a day of talk and off you go paying your cash into the pot. No points on the licence altho' there is talk of the insurance industry asking if you have been on one of these courses.

That sounds like a rather more advanced course than most! Yes, current ones are just classroom based (literally in my case - the course took place in a former school!). It means No point on your licence and Its NOT a conviction, so you (currently) don't have to mention it your insurance company.

[SpikeOne]

I did one some years ago, a morning of theory then lunch and then two hours on the road with an advanced instructor, it was very worthwhile. The current ones are just revenue streams :- half a day of talk and off you go paying your cash into the pot. No points on the licence altho' there is talk of the insurance industry asking if you have been on one of these courses.

That sounds like a rather more advanced course than most! Yes, current ones are just classroom based (literally in my case - the course took place in a former school!). It means No point on your licence and Its NOT a conviction, so you (currently) don't have to mention it your insurance company.

Careful with that. it doesn't matter what the law says, if the company decide that it's part of their conditions that you tell them, and you don't, they could, and probably would, void your insurance in the case of a claim, (if they found out). Of course it's questionably how they would find out if it's not leaked from the DVLA, but it's still a risk. I remember the early days of AIDS when, just asking for a test at your doctors was considered enough to void your assurance in case of death.