Driver Awareness Course

[daviddi]

How long does a speeding ticket generally take to come? am I in the clear do you think lol?

If it doesn't arrive in the 'normal' course of post within 14 days then you can assume it's not coming.

However, if it comes on day 15+ and the letter is dated before that you might have to 'appeal' on the grounds that it didn't arrive in time.

Does this also apply to speeding on the continent, as I think I got flashed in france on the way back from Sorrento last week

 

[the cueball]

Friend got a speeeding ticket 18 months back with me as passenger. 36 in a 30. However the reason was that he was approaching a camera well known to us, so would be insane to speed, at about 27/28mph and about 60m from the camera the driver of a car in the second lane slightly ahead just decided to move lanes without indicating or seeing us. I saw her clearly not looking and thought a collision was inevitable but my friend has excellent reactions and swerved hard left and accelerated out of harms way braking as soon as he got free of the situation but was caught on the camera.

I haven't read so much BS on a forum in my life... and I've read about a 5.0 V8 mondeo...

What uttter, utter, utter b0llox...

thanks for cheering up my Monday morning though... magic...

 

[jimmybell]

I got caught doing 36 in a 30 in the Limehouse Link tunnel (by Canary Wharf) heading towards Tower Bridge, in my old family wagon Renault Espace.

Stupid mistake, i was concious of speed cameras as there's one on the way into the tunnel, and signs throughout - but a coach was sat on my arse so i stupidly sped up to create some distance. Totally missed the camera (busy looking in my rear-view) until i saw the entire tunnel light up with a flash.

Anyway - I was offered SAC, i've done it - the course is good for what it's worth, not as bad as you'd expect.

Long story short, most insurance companies don't care - however anything Admiral group related (Admiral, Elephant, Diamond, Bell) do specifically ask and do then increase your premium similar to that of a driver with 3 points. e.g. there's no benefit to taking the course.

I'm with Admiral, because as a central London dweller, they're one of the only insurers that will offer a competitive quote - they just don't seem to treat London in such a negative light as all other insurers. Even with SAC declared, my premium is cheaper than any non-admiral group firms can offer.

I've read there's no access to the database of SAC attendees for any public/private companies, so technicallyroom i should be able to tell admiral i've not done a SAC, and be safe from being discovered, though if directly asked and then lying, i suspect there's some legal problem there if it did ever come out.

Needless to say, as soon as i can depart from Admiral i will. Greenlight look good. If you take the points, companies can check if you have any. So whilst there's no immediate benefit to the SAC for my premium, in the long run there MAY be - whereas the points are a dead certain premium increase for at least 3 years.

 

[Paul c]

Take the course no big deal and still have a clean licence I did

 

[BMWZ4MC]

I supported him via letter to the magistrates and appeared as a witness in court.

Magistrates are all aspiring amateurs and non-legal persons who will support everything the Police come up with; the sort looking for gongs (they get to use JP after their names). Jumped-up greengrocers, is the best definition I've heard. You won't get fairness from such people because they won't support their reasons for finding against the Police. Avoid the magistrates like the plague. I know a couple of them and they're both bigoted and thick but they think otherwise.

I agree that most magistrates are idiots, including those who allowed a former colleague of mine to keep his licence when he was caught speeding and already had 12 points! Apparently being a doctor (and having an incredibly wealthy father who owns large areas of Knightsbridge) gave him a special right to do as he pleased!