Speed Awareness Course

[Cordy]

Had to go on a 'speed awareness course' - I got caught in a speed trap doing 36 in a 30 mph area.

Cost £90, but will not get points on licence or need to declare to insurance unless asked.
The course is mostly sitting and listening, no test -- was asked to make notes for my own benefit.
About 2.5 hours
First offence since I started driving 60 years ago.

 

[Sideways]

Did it work ?
Are you driving better after it ?

 

[John Brown]

Had to go on a 'speed awareness course' - I got caught in a speed trap doing 36 in a 30 mph area.

Cost £90, but will not get points on licence or need to declare to insurance unless asked.
The course is mostly sitting and listening, no test -- was asked to make notes for my own benefit.
About 2.5 hours
First offence since I started driving 60 years ago.

First offence, or first time caught?

 

[Mouse007]

Shortly after passing her driving test my daughter had to attend one of those. Upon her return I asked if she had learnt anything. “Yes”, she replied, “everybody speeds, young, old, male and female”.

 

[sneggysteve]

You will see a lot more here in Wales now we are restricted to 20 mph

 

[Spectric]

You will see a lot more here in Wales now we are restricted to 20 mph

Only two wheels will not be caught, cyclist not registered and motorbikes with only a rear plate.

 

[Jacob]

Had to go on a 'speed awareness course' - I got caught in a speed trap doing 36 in a 30 mph area.

Cost £90, but will not get points on licence or need to declare to insurance unless asked.
The course is mostly sitting and listening, no test -- was asked to make notes for my own benefit.
About 2.5 hours
First offence since I started driving 60 years ago.

I've done it too. Same thing 36 in a 30 zone.
Actually I was impressed by the course - an intensive training session in safe driving and the reasons for the rules and regs.
In fact everybody should do it at intervals, as a refresher.
Hope not to get caught again and am driving much more cautiously, everywhere , not just near the cameras.
The bit where I got caught is a built up area with speed limits changing several times 30/40/50 in a few miles and easy to get it wrong if you don't concentrate. A blanket 30 would be better with one or two 20 stretches where most built up.

 

[Jacob]

Only two wheels will not be caught, cyclist not registered and motorbikes with only a rear plate.

Cyclist rarely hit 20 and even if they did they are a hazard to themselves more than anyone else.

 

[Adam W.]

Had to go on a 'speed awareness course' - I got caught in a speed trap doing 36 in a 30 mph area.

Cost £90, but will not get points on licence or need to declare to insurance unless asked.
The course is mostly sitting and listening, no test -- was asked to make notes for my own benefit.
About 2.5 hours
First offence since I started driving 60 years ago.

Not really a trap though is it?

 

[Spectric]

Cyclist rarely hit 20

What no even in lycra, I thought that gave them a teflon coating so as more aerodynamic.

 

[Jacob]

What no even in lycra, I thought that gave them a teflon coating so as more aerodynamic.

I once hit 50mph but that was coming down Mont Ventoux a few years ago, on a Dawes Galaxy. Hadn't even shaved my legs!
It was an iconic occasion hence the speed check.
Getting up there was a bit slower.

 

[sploo]

Got my first ever one a few years ago - cruising at 79mph on an empty dual carriageway. To be fair, the course was actually quite well done and wasn't patronising.

It has slowed me down a bit; partly because I don't want the bar stewards to get me again, but I'd also concede that it (the course) did refresh some info about the application of speed limits that I'd long since forgotten (having done my driving test in the previous millennium).

 

[flh801978]

I had one a few years ago
driving down the m1 near leicester on a virtually deserted motorway on a lovely summers day at 11 am the overhead gantrys wanted a 40mph limit
a few miles later there was a lorry having a tyre changed in a emergency bay
they must have had a few catches that day...i'm sure i wouldnt have been pulled by a police officer at 52mph
the course was online that time and many attendees were professional drivers and even a motorway contractor who was incandescent at his ticket
all attendees were smart motorway tickets
Ian

 

[sploo]

I had one a few years ago
driving down the m1 near leicester on a virtually deserted motorway on a lovely summers day at 11 am the overhead gantrys wanted a 40mph limit
a few miles later there was a lorry having a tyre changed in a emergency bay
they must have had a few catches that day...i'm sure i wouldnt have been pulled by a police officer at 52mph
the course was online that time and many attendees were professional drivers and even a motorway contractor who was incandescent at his ticket
all attendees were smart motorway tickets
Ian

Yea that one does annoy me. Having spent way too much of my life travelling up and down UK motorways I've long since concluded that the variable speed limit sections are often driven by a computer that's running in a parallel universe. The number of times I did tens of miles at 40 or 50mph on the M1 due to non-existent "animals on the road" or some other weird reason... but you can't risk doing a safe speed as the automated cameras will get you.

 

[Cordy]

I had one a few years ago
driving down the m1 near leicester on a virtually deserted motorway on a lovely summers day at 11 am the overhead gantrys wanted a 40mph limit
a few miles later there was a lorry having a tyre changed in a emergency bay
they must have had a few catches that day...i'm sure i wouldnt have been pulled by a police officer at 52mph
the course was online that time and many attendees were professional drivers and even a motorway contractor who was incandescent at his ticket
all attendees were smart motorway tickets
Ian

Thanks for the heads up Ian. I'll be careful on Motorways.
We have the dreaded Smart Motorways here in the North/West too.

 

[dizjasta]

Lancashire Police have a t

olerance for error for speeding matters of 10% + 3mph.

 

[Cordy]

@dizjasta​

Your spreadsheet could be out of date
The speed trap was in Lancashire and I was clocked at 36 mph
edit
The chap sitting next to me got done going 42 in a 40 mph zone

 

[flying haggis]

I wonder how they make these charges stick ie 42 in a 40. your car speedometer is not that accurate and is allowed a tolerance so it may show you are doing 40 but in reality youre not but how do you know??? and surely its not really safe if you are concentrating on your speedo all the time rather than the road ahead

 

[sploo]

I wonder how they make these charges stick ie 42 in a 40. your car speedometer is not that accurate and is allowed a tolerance so it may show you are doing 40 but in reality youre not but how do you know??? and surely its not really safe if you are concentrating on your speedo all the time rather than the road ahead

As far as I understand the rules on speedo calibration is that they may over read by a small amount, but never under read. I.e. if it says 40mph you may actually be doing a bit less than 40mph, but never more 40mph.

 

[Blister]

Speed awareness course queue in Wales 1st week.