Driver Awareness Course

[hamster]

To my eternal shame, our postman delivered a letter from Hants Police yesterday to let me know I'd been caught by a speed camera on the A31 a few weeks back!!!

 

No excuses, I was speeding and have only myself to blame.

 

 

I don't often go much over the limit but I'm guessing that 39 in a 30 limit is viewed as pretty serious as I've been invited to take part in a 'driver awareness' programme.

 

Anyone have any experience of them and know what the cost might be? I guess it's a toss up between having 3 points and a fine or pay for the course.

 

My nipper reckons you have to stand up in front of the others and say why you did it and what a pratt you have been, but I can't see what positive impact that might have, especially in front of a room full of Sooped-Up Clio driving, baseball-hat wearing, gum-chewing, gangsta stylee, tattoo'ed, pierced and generally bad boys. Then again I guess that I am no better and fully expect to get 'loll'd' at by them all for being a hairdresser's car driving, grey haired, bearded, short-arsed, speccy, pipe-smokin', cardigan wearing, Beatles-lovin', old ****.

 

Please advise....seriously, what should I go for, classroom or points and cash?

[TUS]

Take the course every time, avoid the points at all costs!

[Nexstar]

I believe you just go and 2 traffic cops talk about the dangers of speed, you don't have to stand up infront of anybody

 

I think you don't get the 3 points but the cost of the course is the fine, or something similar.

[Badger]

Mixed bunch attended mine.

 

I was genuinely surprised by the upper end of the ages.

 

Bear in mind that you are only "invited" to one of these if you are driving as a 'borderline' case; I suspect you were doing 36-39 in a 40mph,Any more and you might not have the option of the course, as opposed to pimts.

Edited 24 July, 2010 by Badger

[Badger]

Cost of course - up here anyway- s the same as a fine, £60, so no financial advantage.

[wadesmith]

I went to one in Bournemouth about a month ago. Very laid back. Three hours, you can either get involved..or sit back & daydream. The two guys presenting ours were just grateful most people had turned up. We watched about 3 videos of the type you see on telly after 9.00pm, and just did two group excercises. It was all pretty easy going.

[saintscottofthenortham]

I was given the option of the driver awareness course, and the fine was £74 instead of £60 for taking the course, so nothing too major. I

Done mine at the Chilworth Hilton and I

Assure you that watching 3 hours of Colchester United is more fun. Watch a few video's, look at some pictures, do

A couple of quizzes... Think that's about it.

 

It's done by two retired traffic officers and they mean well, it also keeps 3 points of your license so can't really grumble.

 

When I turned up for mine, we all took out turn to introduce ourselves and the lad next to me was called 'Josh Dutton-Black' - Little bit of pointless information but it is saints related.

[Katalinic]

I went to one in Bournemouth about a month ago. Very laid back. Three hours, you can either get involved..or sit back & daydream. The two guys presenting ours were just grateful most people had turned up. We watched about 3 videos of the type you see on telly after 9.00pm, and just did two group excercises. It was all pretty easy going.

 

Probably the same type of course I went to. What I was surprised about is that 80% of people in the room were 60 or over. Anyway, definitely worth attending if it means you save the 3 points.

[Lets B Avenue]

I cant believe you're not doing time for this "heinous" crime! I mean, when you compare it to fence-rattling you really are a jammy bar-steward. What the hell is wrong with our justice system?

 

Oh by the way. take the course as its only 2-3 hours and whilst everyone there will have a similiar hard luck story, you will all be made to look foolish. Also no self respecting Chav would own up to being done for 36 MPH.

[Chin Strain]

I've applied to be considered for the driver awareness course - just waiting to hear. £74 (says so on the information you get sent with the notice of intended prosecution). Bang to rights as I was doing 37 in a 30....just a bit galling that it was a 60 until recently, and there's no way that location should be a 30. Still, will go along and do the course as it's bucket loads better than 3 points.

[Big John]

I heard the leader of Oxon County Couincil on R4 this morning talking about their speed cameras.

 

OCC is scrapping them, they may put more officers on speed camera duties but the yellow boxes are costing too much. They apparently are responsible for the admin and issuing the tickets etc but the income generated goes to central government (i think that is what he said).

 

He added that in his opinion and in his experience cars simply slow down on approach and speed up again when past.

 

Isn't a bit crazy that we will have different Counties using different methods of enforcement?

[SNSUN]

I have three points on my licence and didn't get invited to do a drivers awareness course - but I'd have happily paid up to £200 quid NOT to have the points.

[Chin Strain]

I have three points on my licence and didn't get invited to do a drivers awareness course - but I'd have happily paid up to £200 quid NOT to have the points.

 

You may have been going too fast. Friend was done at 44 in a 30 and didn't get the option either.

[saint boggy]

i did one of these Awareness courses after getting caught on camera doing 37mph in a 30 zone.....it was really good actually....i had been driving for 16 years without incident, and it really is amazing what you forget (or never even knew!).

there is no humiliation involved. at mine there were taxi drivers,driving instructors as well as the casual driver, so a real mixed bag of all ages/class and creed.

If you go into it with the right attitude then you will , i'm sure , gain a lot of perspective and have a bit more respect for the potential killing machine that you get behind the wheel of every day.

My course cost something like £70 as opposed to a £60 fine and 3 points .

 

I'm REALLY glad i did it , and would urge anyone else to do it too (not just so as to avoid the points, but also to increase your speed and danger awareness).

 

oh, and btw...if they think that you have just turned up and in no way participate with the discussion, then they are well within their rights to impose the original £60 speeding fine, so beware!

Edited 26 July, 2010 by saint boggy

[suewhistle]

He added that in his opinion and in his experience cars simply slow down on approach and speed up again when past.

 

So what do you reckon, book the drivers who don't slow down for driving without due care and attention?

Reminds of I Met copper I once met who said he once booked a guy for speeding down Hyde Park rd or similar at 4 in the morning. "I'm not booking you for speeding, but because you didn't see me!"

[Big John]

So what do you reckon, book the drivers who don't slow down for driving without due care and attention?

Reminds of I Met copper I once met who said he once booked a guy for speeding down Hyde Park rd or similar at 4 in the morning. "I'm not booking you for speeding, but because you didn't see me!"

 

I reckon that he (the county councillor) was stating what the rest of us already know. We have probably all been behind someone driving within the speed limit who, when spotting a camera, hits their brakes suddenly as an automatic reaction. I think that it demonstrates that most drivers drive safely and within what they judge to be a safe speed, the cameras on the whole are a distraction.

 

I am not against having traffic calming measures at certain potential hotspots (i.e. outside schools) but even then one has to ask why there is a 20 limit outside a school 24 hours a day. And although I tend to not exceed 80mph on a motorway, usually keeping up with the flow of traffic, I also think that motorway limits should be increased. The 70 limit was introduced when many cars were perhaps not so easy to control/handle at speed and was maybe appropriate but not now.

 

I am no angel and my licence has had quite a few blemishes but like a majority I think I am a safer driver than the driver behind or in front of me. It's human nature I suppose.

 

Thinking a little deeper into the subject of these cameras, have they not been used many times in court cases to prove someone's whereabouts? If memory serves, they were used in the recent case of Paula Poulton.

[saint_stevo]

where is the course being held.......?

[dronskisaint]

For me it was a mellow course & (despite the fact that I worked out that i've driven close on a couple of million miles) I learnt a couple of things.

 

Mine (in N.Wales) was run by a police driving instructor who didn't preach or demean - just pointed out the various consequences. I think you're lucky to get the opportunity at 39 mph..the threshold in N. Wales was 35mph i.e. 2mph over the 10% tolerance.

 

I was amazed at some of the people on the course's self-righteousness attitude. 'It was only a bit over...etc'. I know the law, we all know the law - if you exceed the speed limit & get caught you're bl**dy lucky to get the chance to go on the course.

 

As for taking the course over the points - no brainer! Check the insurance consequences.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

I reckon that he (the county councillor) was stating what the rest of us already know. We have probably all been behind someone driving within the speed limit who, when spotting a camera, hits their brakes suddenly as an automatic reaction. I think that it demonstrates that most drivers drive safely and within what they judge to be a safe speed, the cameras on the whole are a distraction.

 

I am not against having traffic calming measures at certain potential hotspots (i.e. outside schools) but even then one has to ask why there is a 20 limit outside a school 24 hours a day. And although I tend to not exceed 80mph on a motorway, usually keeping up with the flow of traffic, I also think that motorway limits should be increased. The 70 limit was introduced when many cars were perhaps not so easy to control/handle at speed and was maybe appropriate but not now.

 

I am no angel and my licence has had quite a few blemishes but like a majority I think I am a safer driver than the driver behind or in front of me. It's human nature I suppose.

 

Thinking a little deeper into the subject of these cameras, have they not been used many times in court cases to prove someone's whereabouts? If memory serves, they were used in the recent case of Paula Poulton.

 

I'm interested in your observation about speed limits outside schools. I think it's all well being temporary, that is around school ingress/egress times but how many would remember to adjust their speed, downward, accordingly. On the other hand how many, probably like a lot of us, would actually treat it as a permanent speed limit? Thus annoying the hell out of a less cautious driver behind? Then, finally, the court case where a child has been the victim of speeding. " I forgot it was a temporary limit your honour".

 

Just points of observation.

 

I'm nowhere near a perfect driver.

[Chin Strain]

I've applied to be considered for the driver awareness course - just waiting to hear. £74 (says so on the information you get sent with the notice of intended prosecution). Bang to rights as I was doing 37 in a 30....just a bit galling that it was a 60 until recently, and there's no way that location should be a 30. Still, will go along and do the course as it's bucket loads better than 3 points.

 

Heard on Friday that I'm on the Driver Awareness. Booked up for the Chilworth Hilton on 10 August. Should be fun.....

[hamster]

Heard on Friday that I'm on the Driver Awareness. Booked up for the Chilworth Hilton on 10 August. Should be fun.....

 

Chinny, you should have waited for me to get mine through, we could have shared a few beers afterwards.

 

Chilworth Hilton is close to me too.

[Chin Strain]

Chinny, you should have waited for me to get mine through, we could have shared a few beers afterwards.

 

Chilworth Hilton is close to me too.

 

Had to get in quick - get it out of the way before holiday.....you never know, you may hear back in time to register on the same one (there weren't any more scheduled until September...weirdly)

 

Maybe we could have had a few beers before, just to pass the time...

[SNSUN]

You may have been going too fast. Friend was done at 44 in a 30 and didn't get the option either.

 

You might be right, think I was 43 in a 30. Though I genuinely don't remember driving that fast.

 

Stupid, 13 mph gets me a fine and points, yet I got arrested for driving drunk one time (I really was a bit tipsy), and got let off after the two breath tests at the station, and told I could go back to my car and drive home.

 

I have the strangest luck.

[SOTONS EAST SIDE]

I lived in California for a while, and while people do speed they are very aware of the penalty's for getting caught.ie: UP 20MPH OVER THE LIMIT(60MPH) $200! GOING OVER 80MPH $200+ 3DAYS IN JAIL! Speeding past a school during speed restriction times 8am- 3pm(30mph max) $500+ 7 days in jail. Only plus point is no points on your license!!!

[hamster]

I still ain't heard nothing. Guess they accepted my plea of insanity. YAY!

[La BoIS Saint]

Mixed bunch attended mine.

 

I was genuinely surprised by the upper end of the ages.

 

Bear in mind that you are only "invited" to one of these if you are driving as a 'borderline' case; I suspect you were doing 36-39 in a 40mph,Any more and you might not have the option of the course, as opposed to pimts.

 

Harsh on speeding nowadays.

[Smirking_Saint]

Mixed bunch attended mine.

 

I was genuinely surprised by the upper end of the ages.

 

Bear in mind that you are only "invited" to one of these if you are driving as a 'borderline' case; I suspect you were doing 36-39 in a 40mph,Any more and you might not have the option of the course, as opposed to pimts.

 

I reckon you can fight that one