Speed Awareness Course

[Lons]

That's called speeding. Doing 34 in a 30 limit. Though 36 seems to be the decider as a rule, are you sure it was 34?

Yes, and haven't bothered to make up feeble excuses!

I know exactly what it was as per the official report and why my traffic cop neighbour said I should have appealed however had you read my initial post I stated quite clearly that I was clocked exactly at the 30mph sign and was under 30 within a few yards, I also said I accepted that it was speeding and the fine, 3 points and awareness course. Had the camera van been visible I would have of course braked harder.

Of course I didn't make up an excuse or pretend it wasn't legitimate, I simply stated the facts - read previously and above.

So, what were the circumstances of your offence, you attended a course so were caught speeding so what's your excuse.

 

[artie]

3 points and awareness course.

???

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Last time I got caught speeding it was 1979. I was on a KH250 Kwacker in the dark in torrential rain and a car following me kept getting too close to my rear. I kept to 30mph in the limit and speeded up when I left it. The car kept getting within feet of me then dropping back, then speeding up again and repeating the exercise. As we approached another limit he fell well back then nearly ran into me, he was so close. The guy was dangerous and being a total pillock so I speeded up .................. and he put his blue flashing light on and booked me.

 

[Jacob]

....

So, what were the circumstances of your offence, you attended a course so were caught speeding so what's your excuse.

Trying to think of a feeble excuse, possibly blaming reckless cyclists, tractors trailers, to avoid hitting blind old people crossing the road, to avoid collision with rapidly descending paraglider, or something. Maybe something about a pet ferret loose in the car and asleep under the brake pedal?

 

[RogerS]

overtaking somone just before a built up area then braking to the speed limit - lol

Yes,maybe it was a tractor doing 10mph. Ever thought of that ?

 

[RogerS]

....

So, what were the circumstances of your offence, you attended a course so were caught speeding so what's your excuse.

Reading Chairman Mao's diary and List of Wishful Thinking ?

 

[Rewound]

Yes,maybe it was a tractor doing 10mph. Ever thought of that ?

a tractor doing 10 mph ? a bit unlikely.

 

[BillHoughton]

They have those same sorts of courses here in the States, including some online courses. I've had to swallow my impulse to answer the question the right way once or twice, although I've pointed out the obvious (usually stupid) errors in the post-course survey. Not that it will change anything; it just feels good.

It's been a while; I've been a good boy lately.

 

[pe2dave]

Last time I got caught speeding it was 1979. I was on a KH250 Kwacker in the dark in torrential rain and a car following me kept getting too close to my rear. I kept to 30mph in the limit and speeded up when I left it. The car kept getting within feet of me then dropping back, then speeding up again and repeating the exercise. As we approached another limit he fell well back then nearly ran into me, he was so close. The guy was dangerous and being a total pillock so I speeded up .................. and he put his blue flashing light on and booked me.

Sensible option, indicate, pull in and see if he overtakes you?

 

[Yorkieguy]

I also said I accepted that it was speeding and the fine, 3 points and awareness course. Had the camera van been visible I would have of course braked harder.

That makes no sense - it's either a fine+points, or a Speed Awareness Course - not both. Where the speeding is within a certain range, the police may, at their discretion, offer you a speed awareness course as an alternative to a Fixed Penalty Notice ('FPN'), currently £100 fine and a three point endorsement on your driving licence, which is known as an 'SP30'.

The cost of a Speed Awareness Course ranges from £75 in Merseyside to £95 in Humberside, so it's marginally less expensive than a fine, but of course there are costs involved in getting to the course and maybe having to take time off work.

If you get an SP30 endorsement on your licence, you are obliged to tell your insurance company who will generally increase your insurance premium. You are only required to let them know of a speed awareness course if they ask you.

If you do attend a Speed Awareness Course in the right frame of mind, the chances are that you'll be a more careful driver in future and less likely to reoffend. How hard can that be? But if you are imbued with righteous indignation and think the police should be catching shoplifters rather than hounding motorists, the chances are that it might not be too long before you use up the remaining 9 points on your licence.

Just saying.

 

[Tom K]

Sensible option, indicate, pull in and see if he overtakes you?

I’d hazard a guess that he was a callow youth of 17 or 18 at the time and the police used to do that crap constantly in the 70’s and 80’s

 

[RogerS]

a tractor doing 10 mph ? a bit unlikely.

Artistic licence, dear chap. Artistic licence. 20mph. I was in the 1-mile queue as we passed stopping place after stopping place but the miserable git never pulled in.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I’d hazard a guess that he was a callow youth of 17 or 18 at the time and the police used to do that rubbish constantly in the 70’s and 80’s

I was 25. He was that close to me in torrential rain that it may well have been dangerous to try to pull in.

 

[paulrbarnard]

I was 25. He was that close to me in torrential rain that it may well have been dangerous to try to pull in.

So the 60’s then

 

[Adam W.]

17th century more like.

 

[Lons]

That makes no sense - it's either a fine+points, or a Speed Awareness Course - not both. Where the speeding is within a certain range, the police may, at their discretion, offer you a speed awareness course as an alternative to a Fixed Penalty Notice ('FPN'), currently £100 fine and a three point endorsement on your driving licence, which is known as an 'SP30'.

The cost of a Speed Awareness Course ranges from £75 in Merseyside to £95 in Humberside, so it's marginally less expensive than a fine, but of course there are costs involved in getting to the course and maybe having to take time off work.

If you get an SP30 endorsement on your licence, you are obliged to tell your insurance company who will generally increase your insurance premium. You are only required to let them know of a speed awareness course if they ask you.

If you do attend a Speed Awareness Course in the right frame of mind, the chances are that you'll be a more careful driver in future and less likely to reoffend. How hard can that be? But if you are imbued with righteous indignation and think the police should be catching shoplifters rather than hounding motorists, the chances are that it might not be too long before you use up the remaining 9 points on your licence.

Just saying.

OK wrong terminology saying "fine" but it cost £100 which was exactly the same as the fine would have been so felt like it the difference being that I didn't get any points and therefore was not obliged (as pointed out by the course officials) to notify my insurance company. You're splitting hairs - just sayin.

BTW I never suggested that "the police should be catching shoplifters", neither did I feel "imbued with righteous indignation", quite the opposite in fact so I hope that wasn't aimed in my direction.

 

[Lons]

???

I'd had a couple of beers when I typed that Artie I didn't get any points just had to pay £100 and attend the course.

 

[Lons]

overtaking somone just before a built up area then braking to the speed limit - lol

You're imagining it. I didn't say I overtook just before a 30mph limit. I was clocked at 34mph exactly in line with the limit sign If you go back through the posts I said I use engine braking along with normal brakes, had I indeed braked firmly I would have been well under the limit.

The tractor was tootling along weaving side to side with a large trailer full of manure at around 25mph, I was immediately behind him and there was a queue of traffic behind me, it's a winding country road and I overtook, perfectly safely at the first straight bit of road and there was absolutely nothing wrong with braking from 60 to 30mph in front of a vehicle doing 25. Even if I had braked hard I was far enough in front for him not to catch up.

 

[Tom K]

I was 25. He was that close to me in torrential rain that it may well have been dangerous to try to pull in.

My apology’s didn’t realise you were such an old git. Why where you on a 250 at 25?

 

[Blackswanwood]

I’m out in San Francisco at the moment and it is noticeable that driverless cars are starting to gain a foothold. It’s scary when one pulls up alongside you for the first time.

They are coming and will change the game massively. Why own a car when you can just have one turn up when you need it? They are not subject to the mood of the driver. They won’t engage in tit for tat testosterone fuelled incidents that escalate into road range. Best of all they are proving to be safer than humans are at driving.

The picture I took earlier perhaps suggests they are operating in wide traffic free zones which actually is not the case. It’s actually a lot busier than the picture portrays.