any one had to do one of these courses.... got a speeding fine the other day (34 in a 30 zone) so i have to go on one of the courses. 4 hours of bordom no doubt.

 

getting done for 34 in a 30 zone is a total joke !

 

If that is in place of points, I'd be smiling like the Cheshire cat all the way through.

 

If it's owt like the one my lad went on, they'll tell lies, then when you probe the lies, they get nasty.

A bit like religion, really, but hey.........

 

I did one about 3 years ago - 35 in a 30. The course was a bit more expensive than the fine, but in lieu of three points so worth the three hours. I'm in my early 40s and was almost the youngest person there.

I felt the way the course was run bordered on unethical. They use techniques often used in cult indoctrination, softening you up with two and a half hours of perfectly reasonable information, then hit you with the stupid "even a few mph over 30 can make a difference if you hit a pedestrian" message when you are in a very accepting/unquestioning mental state.

I did find out some interesting and scary stuff in the early part of the course. They got everyone to write down the speed limits on urban A roads, rural A roads, dual carriageways and Motorways. Most people got the first and last right, but the number of people who thought the limit on a rural A road is 40mph was scary, and most thought dual carriageways are 60mph. Talking to the course instructor, this is a pretty typical cross section - which begs the question why the government persists with the national speed limit signs when so few people know what they mean in various circumstances.

 

I think most of the instructors are ex police drivers. They are experienced and pragmatic about the whole thing and have a wealth of knowledge which is worth listening too.

Les

 

And yet, they STILL tell lies.........my lad caught them out in at least two.

 

But it does. so how can it be stupid?

 

Sounds about right.

Its usually the same clots that carry on through 30mph speed limit signs in villages still doing 40mph, and then carry on doing 40mph after passing the national speed limit sign.

I wonder if questioned what they think National speed limit sign means: I bet they'll give an answer like "Warning, diagonal lines ahead!"

 

This is worth watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2mf8DtWWd8

 

What did they say then?

Les

 

I agree Jamie, no honest person can deny the message it relates.

I personally would not feel hard done by if all drivers were forbidden to drink any alcohol.

Being allowed a limit is too airy fairy and it is only too easy as we all know to be pushed into having another couple or so when you are already on the limit.

If you know that you will get done for having any alcohol at all in your blood that you will think very hard about drinking at all let alone too much.

The consequences are just too serious to be lax in this respect.

Les

 

Scamera vans facing the direction of traffixc flow CAN catch motorcyclists speeding, and secondly that's because there are TWO operators in each van. Lie and lie.

He had originally asked why, if they were all about SAFETY and not revenue, they didn't target speeding motorcycles, who make up less than 4% of road traffic but who are involved in 38% of serious and fatalities, many of which are single vehicle accidents? And why the ACPO guidelines now preferred forward facing cameras which can't catch motorbikes?

 

Yes ok, well I have no specific knowledge about those things you mention.

I imagine that most of the serious casualties with motor bikes are the bikers themselves, don't know if that puts a different priority on their actions.

I certainly ride my 'bike defensively these days, I get fed up with cars pulling out of side roads and nearly hitting me. The only thing is to watch the driver's eyes I find.

Les

 

We'll as much as I'm inclined to agree with you, were do you draw the line?
Say 34 is fine - then is 35 not fine?

I suppose the limit at the end of the day is 30 - not 34.

 

Yes but you have to realise that they have to keep ticking those boxes!

If they did not have targets to fill they might have to go out on the beat instead!

Les

 

Liven the day up by arriving dressed as captain jack sparrow and pretending you've got tourettes

 

R.O.F.L

 

Are you sure its a four hour course?

The one I attended last year was a full day, 1/2 day theory and the other 1/2 being shown how to drive efficiently.

A full day!

Given the option, next time I'll take the points.

 

Been on one of these, they give you a seated lesson.
Then they take you out on the road, (like on a driving lesson)
They then point out the flaws in your driving, and make sure you improve throughout the day.
The end is either a pass or fail dependant on the result you get.
You will either go back again or if you pass, the matter involving the initial offence that landed you there will be closed.

 

But there are two TYPES of courses:

Speeding awareness and driving improvement.

The first is an afternoon, costs £70 around here and is all in a classroom.

The second is TWO days, and has time on the road and in a classroom, plus it costs over £100. This one is for younger drivers mainly, involved in accidents, but NOT prosecuted.

 

^^ This is what i had ^^

 

Its not what I had. Mine was still over the course of one day. Had both the theory and driving instruction. From what they said it wasnt the case for every county, some were testing the longer scheme.

 

I had a great time, winding up a senior ranking cop was great fun...

He actually thanked me for keeping things from the level of utter tedium.

dunx

P.S. Like the line he spouted, "We don't all need a Japanese rallycar to get to work"... my reply "We don't all need a people carrier to display how fertile we are !". LOL

P.P.S. "You are all guilty of being a danger on the roads !", "But this guy next to me drove an ambulance for a living and never crashed once in 35 years..."

 

Its all a matter of your attitude to the course. However you feel about coppers, they do have a lot of good driving advice to give on the course.

Les

 

Or

Turn up in a racing suit complete with helmet

Tourettes eh - shouting out disease

 

The Stig!

 

Excellent

I wonder what they'd say?

You could always just say - look, I've got to go to work immediately after this.

 

34mph? Have you seen this?

http://www.acpo.police.uk/asp/.../sp...web_v7_foi.doc

The guidance to police officers is that it is anticipated that, other than in the most exceptional circumstances, the issue of fixed penalty notices and summonses is likely to be the minimum appropriate enforcement action as soon as the following speeds have been reached:

Limit Fixed Penalty Summons
20 mph 25 mph 35 mph
30 mph 35 mph 50 mph
40 mph 46 mph 66 mph
50 mph 57 mph 76 mph
60 mph 68 mph 86 mph
70 mph 79 mph 96 mph
Fixed penalty of
1. £60 (pending)
2. Licence endorsed with 3 penalty points Magisterial discretion (level 2) maximum of:
1. £1000 fine
2. Licence endorsed - range of penalty points available
3. Disqualification
4. Compulsory re-testing