Speed awareness courses

[Jeffrey Shaw]

Ive done the course. i had to take the full day off work to do it but really it lasted about 4 or 5 hours which was 3 hours too many. Its like a class room environment but at times light hearted, i expect it depends on the tutor - mine wasnt too bad.

 

My insurance would have gone up if i hadnt done the course, try online quotes with and without the points. Its worth the money to do the course to keep a clean licence.

 

My advice having done this is take the course - points in this case do not make prizes!!! And, think of it this way, if you take 3 points and then take another 3 your insurance really will be hit, hard because on my understanding, you wont get an opportunity to do this if you pick up more points after an intial 3.

An idea:

Insurers offer 20% discount to already-qualified drivers who, not convicted or facing 'points', volunteer to attend a Driving Course.

[Cyclone]

An idea:

Insurers offer 20% discount to already-qualified drivers who, not convicted or facing 'points', volunteer to attend a Driving Course.

 

Wouldn't it be better if the drivers did an IAM or Rospa course instead?

[Jeffrey Shaw]

Wouldn't it be better if the drivers did an IAM or Rospa course instead?

Yes- I did not recommend one specific course, and those options are equally covered by my proposition.

[DT Ralge]

An idea:

Insurers offer 20% discount to already-qualified drivers who, not convicted or facing 'points', volunteer to attend a Driving Course.

 

I'm all for that.

Form an orderly queue, though.

PassPlus (for just-licensed drivers), though, has had its resounding backing from the DSA and the insurers withdrawn - the crash incidence in PP "graduates" is no lower than a control group.

My take on that is that any extra post-test training has to be delivered by those qualified to do it - and with respect to the many gem instructors out there delivering quality training, there's also plenty of instructors who have simply paid the £20 to the DSA for the PP materials and give a very poor standard of PP training since they have not themselves done any extra training to deliver the course. The system, it has to be said, is also open to abuse and fraud in that money can and has been taken for a PP certificate without any extra training taking place.

Hence the administrative problems with any such training linked to insurance discounts. The problems are not insurmountable but they are problems all the same.

If you go down the IAM/RoSPA route, it's a numbers game - establish the model, foster its popularity and then struggle to find sufficient trainers (and examiners) with the right qualifications to service the demand.

Try a "defensive" model - sharing many of the same values of Advanced but without the strictures of Advanced training and testing means you have access to more trainer hours (from the merry band of qualified driver trainers/NDAC/speed course and fleet trainers.

Let's try that, then, folks. Any volunteers to make a start on a pilot study to prove to an insurer that such drivers are worth lower premiums?

Your starter for nothing if you are keen to make a start is to read not Roadcraft (the Advanced drivers' bible) but Mind Driving (Stephen Haley), the Defensive Driving bible.

Edited July 9, 2012 by DT Ralge

[Xt500]

And how are they persecuted?

 

Are you really so stupid as to think that anyone cares about road safety?

 

If you really wanted safer roads there are plenty of things you could do but Judging safe driving by where the speedo points is not only a mile away from the problems but brainwashing people has had a knock on effect that has made our roads alot more dangerous than they were by inciting bad attitude from the slow incapable drivers and i doubt theres a driver hasnt seen it.

 

the speed kills crap is about money,nothing else and its going to get worse......

 

"You get the flavour of this tiny part of the UK justice system that has converted what would have been financial penalties for the public benefit into profits for a private business that knows a good thing when it sees one. And, of course, the AA is the famous “motorists’ organisation” that is now profiting from punishing drivers – and making sure that the message of “speed kills” is kept in the headlines. Since the UK’s other legendary motoring organisation, the RAC, has also just been acquired for £1bn by private equity (the Carlyle Group), you can imagine there will more of this kind of activity in the UK and elsewhere."

 

http://flashesandflames.com/2011/06/23/uk-motorists-speed-up-the-cash/

[Cyclone]

Are you really so stupid as to think that anyone cares about road safety?

 

If you really wanted safer roads there are plenty of things you could do but Judging safe driving by where the speedo points is not only a mile away from the problems but brainwashing people has had a knock on effect that has made our roads alot more dangerous than they were by inciting bad attitude from the slow incapable drivers and i doubt theres a driver hasnt seen it.

 

the speed kills crap is about money,nothing else and its going to get worse......

 

"You get the flavour of this tiny part of the UK justice system that has converted what would have been financial penalties for the public benefit into profits for a private business that knows a good thing when it sees one. And, of course, the AA is the famous “motorists’ organisation” that is now profiting from punishing drivers – and making sure that the message of “speed kills” is kept in the headlines. Since the UK’s other legendary motoring organisation, the RAC, has also just been acquired for £1bn by private equity (the Carlyle Group), you can imagine there will more of this kind of activity in the UK and elsewhere."

 

http://flashesandflames.com/2011/06/23/uk-motorists-speed-up-the-cash/

 

I see that you didn't answer the question you quoted...

 

And how are they persecuted?

[mort]

Bickering removed - start it up again and i will issue bans

[alchresearch]

Are you really so stupid as to think that anyone cares about road safety?

 

If you really wanted safer roads there are plenty of things you could do but Judging safe driving by where the speedo points is not only a mile away from the problems but brainwashing people has had a knock on effect that has made our roads alot more dangerous than they were by inciting bad attitude from the slow incapable drivers and i doubt theres a driver hasnt seen it.

 

the speed kills crap is about money,nothing else and its going to get worse......

 

"You get the flavour of this tiny part of the UK justice system that has converted what would have been financial penalties for the public benefit into profits for a private business that knows a good thing when it sees one. And, of course, the AA is the famous “motorists’ organisation” that is now profiting from punishing drivers – and making sure that the message of “speed kills” is kept in the headlines. Since the UK’s other legendary motoring organisation, the RAC, has also just been acquired for £1bn by private equity (the Carlyle Group), you can imagine there will more of this kind of activity in the UK and elsewhere."

 

http://flashesandflames.com/2011/06/23/uk-motorists-speed-up-the-cash/

 

Thanks for your rant but:

 

A) You didn't answer the question

 

B) The question was aimed at someone else, not you. So I don't know why you feel the need to stick your beak in and criticise my post.

 

C) The police say speed is a problem. And given the choice in believing them or an "armchair expert" like you - especially with such dubious sources as your web link and unsubstantiated claims of slow drivers being dangerous - weren't you laughed off that thread where you blamed them for drivers taking overtaking risks?, I'll side with them.

 

Like has been said - and ignored - so many times: why is it so hard for people to drive to the speed limits? 17 year old kids can do it for the test, so why can't people x years after they pass? Arrogance or losing their driving skills?

[Shef_Fitness]

Is speed the real killer on our roads?

 

On a recent day trip to Skegness, in both directions (there and back) was someone driving at 40mph on an A road. In both instances there were a queue of at least 20 cars all trying to get past.

 

In my mind a person like this who drives at 40mph knowing people are trying to get past is a real danger. If the person driving at 40mph can see a massive queue of cars behind them, why do they not pull into a layby and let the cars behind get past?

 

I would imagine many accidents on A roads are caused by people overtaking the slow coaches. Perhaps if people are not capable of driving at a certain speed should also be looked at?

 

At 2 points on the journey there was a long stretch that went to 50mph speed limit (for no reason) and behind a bush was.....YES...... you guessed it was a mobile speed camera zapping people driving as they drove to and from the coast.

 

With regards the speed awareness, almost all of us were there to avoid the points on our licence. In reality most of the useful stuff could have been covered in 15 minutes, but bless the Tutor, he did a fantastic job of drawing out the course for 4 hours and making the course humerous at times.

[DT Ralge]

Is speed the real killer on our roads?

 

On a recent day trip to Skegness, in both directions (there and back) was someone driving at 40mph on an A road. In both instances there were a queue of at least 20 cars all trying to get past.

 

In my mind a person like this who drives at 40mph knowing people are trying to get past is a real danger. If the person driving at 40mph can see a massive queue of cars behind them, why do they not pull into a layby and let the cars behind get past?

 

I would imagine many accidents on A roads are caused by people overtaking the slow coaches. Perhaps if people are not capable of driving at a certain speed should also be looked at?

 

At 2 points on the journey there was a long stretch that went to 50mph speed limit (for no reason) and behind a bush was.....YES...... you guessed it was a mobile speed camera zapping people driving as they drove to and from the coast.

 

With regards the speed awareness, almost all of us were there to avoid the points on our licence. In reality most of the useful stuff could have been covered in 15 minutes, but bless the Tutor, he did a fantastic job of drawing out the course for 4 hours and making the course humerous at times.

 

Which 15 minutes of content were of interest to you?

Has this content changed any attitude, belief, behaviour of yours?

 

NSL roads with "history" have been reduced across the country to lower speeds. The Police are keen, on occasions to enforce the lower limit because of the history.

Was there nothing on the road to suggest "history" - junctions with lots of paint and signage? Poor sight lines or the opposite, straight roads with traffic calming (islands, hatching ...) to discourage overtaking?