Driver Awareness Course
 

I got zapped by a Camera (it was a van based one, on a pole..with the van hidden behind a wall) in early June.

36 MPH, 400yards into a 30mph village ( :mad: ) and still slowing (We were on holiday in the diesel people wagon)

I got the offer of one of these courses in place of 3 points and having had a clean license since 2001 I decided to go for it.

I expected 2 burly cops prepared to load me up with guilt and show me nasty videos of carnage but instead spent the 3 hours stifling the laughter as a 'Terry and June' style couple - driving instructors apparently - wandered through the highway code (nodding approvingly at each other :p ). The videos they showed us were those you'd see on Police Camera Action and in ads on TV (they showed the little girl one).

All in all it was an easy way to dispense with 3 points but I did have some problems with it - both administrative. (BTW All the correspondence was so antagonistic you'd swear I'd comitted some sort of capital crime :mad: )

The 'offence' was in Dorset and as a result I had to go to Poole to sit it as they do not operate a scheme where I could have done the course locally. This is nonsense.

Secondly - whatever gimp did the allocation gave me a 9am start and not a 1pm start so I had to get up before I went to bed and belt down there so I could leapfrog the Chichester / Portsmouth / Southampton rush hour.

In summary, if you get one of these I'd recommend you take it up and if its in Dorset, prepare for a "Yokle dokle" session :D - but like I've just done, you should write to the local Chief Constable and complain about the lack of a local alternative. It might just drag them into this century.

I got zapped the other day and hoped I would get away with it but unfortunately I didn't. I got my NIP through today, 37 in a 30 MPH. It had to happen someday, at least it wasn't 120 in a 70. :D The stupid thing is someone was waving their arm out the window on the opposite side of the road and I ignored them because they just looked like a fool. Flash your lights and I would have slowed down.

I have two questions:

1. Do they offer you the choice of points or patronising after you have filled in and returned the NIP?
2. If you do attend this "course" what happens if you get zapped again, is your previous offence taken into consideration?
3. Anyone know how much "Excess Speed" points add to the insurance? I'm guessing it isn't a great deal considering the number of cameras around today, who's been lucky and not got caught?

With me the 1st NIP came to my wife as it was her car. I was then identified as the 'criminal' and so the next NIP came addressed to me. Our friends were in a similar car behind except they were doing 45mph (again slowing down, as was a whole line of traffic).

My NIP stated I may be offered a course - so did theirs but in the end the driver just received the points. I assume therefore there is a threshold above which the points are automatic.

If you complete the course the offence is not recorded but I believe you can't attend another course for I think 3 years (meaning you can't just keep going on the courses to escape points.)

3 points typically has no impact on the cost of your insurance premuim

Well I bet it's really acheived it's goal.

Are you going to become a member of BRAKE?

Hardly.... not with the speed I travelled there at 5am this morning :p

:D

Good lad.

The "Driver Awareness Courses" differ in their content accross the country and from the one you attended it sounds like you got a bit of a lecture rather than any informed or constructive input. I know that the courses offered in Lancashire provide a drive with an instructor who comments on your awareness and general driving behaviour. With regards to the location of the course you will be required to attend the nearest course to where the offence was committed. Just the same as if you were pleading not guilty to the speeding offence then you would be required to attend the court that covers that area.

God, that would be so tempting...."fwoarr look at the tits on that"..."hello, alright mate-i'm driving I'll phoner you back..."

You forgot "How fast have you out of it in first gear mate?" :)

Thanks for the info guys. I will see what my choices are and then decide if it's cheaper just to pay the fine.