Speed awareness course

[ewwimbledon]

Got one of these in a couple of weeks. Caught on camera on Christmas day doing 37 in a 30. A country lane I thought it was at least 40. So picking up the mother in law (ie being nice) cost me £95 and a 4 hour course starting at 8am on a Sunday morning in some grotty hotel near heathrow.

 

[NeilP]

ouch.

don't wish to increase the burden, but some insurance companies are bumping up premiums for attending these courses.

:thumbsdown:

 

[ewwimbledon]

Great! And there was me thinking better to escape the points.

 

[vectramat]

Didnt think there was any way of an insurance company finding out that you had been on these courses? Ive been on two (car and bike) and not heard a thing from insurance company??? Maybe it depends on the company?

 

[NeilP]

It does depend on the company. I'm pretty certain I read somewhere that the burden of notifying them falls on the driver.

I know Admiral care about said courses (sadly, they provided me with the cheapest quote by a considerable sum! )

 

[Marf83]

My Mrs was told on her course that there was no way that an insurer could find out she had been on a course & she wasn't required to tell them. Hence there being a benefit to going on the course instead of taking the points. Otherwise what's the point????

 

[sam1832]

ouch.

don't wish to increase the burden, but some insurance companies are bumping up premiums for attending these courses.

:thumbsdown:

It is true but only if you tell them ... the course is surpossedly unrecorded. So you would be an idiot to ring your insurance company to tell them


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[AndyMc]

I did the course early last year and haven't informed my insurance.. I thought the point of it was to save getting points and insurance hike..

 

[Bing]

Bad luck

I think as has been said, you need to check your policy as the onus may be on you to disclose it. Not really an issue unless you have an accident and some sort of background check reveals that you have attended a course and not declared it. I don't believe for a second that there won't be a record of it somewhere - at the very least the police will have a record of the fact that you have chosen that option instead of points. Doesn't make sense for them not to because otherwise you could continue speeding and taking the course instead forever - there must be some sort of 'three strikes' rule or similar before they would decide enough is enough and just give a fixed penalty, surely :?

 

[Anonymous]

I did one a few years ago. It was a simple choice of taking a fine and points, doing the course (paying the fee) but no points, or going to court to contest it.

I chose the course.

You can only do 1 course in any 3 year period, so I guess if I got stopped again in 3 years for speeding, then the course wouldn't be an option.

After I did the course I got a letter from the constabulary to say that no further action would be taken. As its an alternative, then its as if you didn't get stopped.

I'm sure insurance companies would like to charge for it, cos obviously they want to screw you out of every penny, but the whole point of the course is education, not punishment, so ironically, you might be a safer driver after the course....therefore should get an insurance reduction!

 

[oli445]

Bad luck

I don't believe for a second that there won't be a record of it somewhere - at the very least the police will have a record of the fact that you have chosen that option instead of points. Doesn't make sense for them not to because otherwise you could continue speeding and taking the course instead forever - there must be some sort of 'three strikes' rule or similar before they would decide enough is enough and just give a fixed penalty, surely :?

When I did my course, they made a point of telling us that insurance companies are now asking if you have attended the course and that there is no way they could find out. The only record is held confidentially and after 3 years your name is removed. That is how they know weather you are eligible for the coarse.

 

[Anonymous]

If you do the course, then you havent been prosecuted etc, so no crime has been commited.

Although I guess if the insurance ask the specific quesiton, then you should tell them.

 

[sapman75]

I was much the same. I had a crash in 2007 in my tuned MR2 turbo.
As I was the only car involved the investigation team deemed me to be reckless!
Told course or court on a letter from the Police.
Took the course and paid them £190 for the pleasure for 2 1/2 days of lessons and 1/2 hr driving in a car with 4 strangers. Felt like a taxi driver!!
You not telling me the awareness company aren't bunging the local Police budget in anyway?

 

[ewwimbledon]

I am insured with Admiral so just called them and made a full confession due to the fear of my insurance being invalid. Especially given that I have confessed in a public forum anyway!!!

They said it won't affect the premium for this year but they will take it into consideration on renewal in December. Given they charged me a massive premium (but I stuck with them due to laziness/inertia) I was thinking of changing companies in any event so I will have to shop around.

 

[sam1832]

so ironically, you might be a safer driver after the course....therefore should get an insurance reduction!

I like the logic

But insurance company's dont have any logic, example

Having a tracker fitted - insurance goes up

Keeping car in a garage - insurance goes up

Last insurance renewal they asked me if I had access to any other car, so I said yes a company car ... and obviously that makes my insurance go up. So after a long argument about this I was saying that having a company car can not alter risk if anything it makes it lower because I have more practice at driving and use anouther car more frequently

They had none of it. Next year im not telling them.


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[gallaghb]

I like the logic

But insurance company's dont have any logic, example

Having a tracker fitted - insurance goes up

Keeping car in a garage - insurance goes up

Last insurance renewal they asked me if I had access to any other car, so I said yes a company car ... and obviously that makes my insurance go up. So after a long argument about this I was saying that having a company car can not alter risk if anything it makes it lower because I have more practice at driving and use anouther car more frequently

They had none of it. Next year im not telling them.

I also recently found out when insuring with Admiral that it was £90 per yr cheaper to insure my Z4MC as parked on the street than parked on the driveway! And £150 cheaper per yr than garage. Ludicrous

 

[Dannyd]

I have been on one of these very recently in the North West (nearly exactly 3 years after my last one - which was lucky). The instructors were very clear that Admiral were currently the only firm they knew of who were putting premiums up if you disclosed, but they were equally clear (saying of course that they couldn't possibly encourage you not to disclose if you were under a duty to etc...) that if you didn't disclose Admiral had no way of finding out. They were very animated about this actually urging those in the group with Admiral to make a point of switching companies at renewal time and telling Admiral the reason was because they (i.e. you) had heard that they up the premiums for attending speed awareness (etc) courses. The instructors were firmly of the view that if Admiral get away with it, then it is only a matter of time before all the other insurers do the same.

Its a bloomin cheek when you think about it, because you have not been convicted of or admitted any offense by taking the course.

As an aside, the course itself was actually very good. Thought provoking and interesting. Not at all patronising. Very useful in fact in terms of improving roadcraft and anticipation skills which can only be a good thing.

go with an open mind.

 

[sam1832]

I have been on one of these very recently in the North West (nearly exactly 3 years after my last one - which was lucky). The instructors were very clear that Admiral were currently the only firm they knew of who were putting premiums up if you disclosed, but they were equally clear (saying of course that they couldn't possibly encourage you not to disclose if you were under a duty to etc...) that if you didn't disclose Admiral had no way of finding out. They were very animated about this actually urging those in the group with Admiral to make a point of switching companies at renewal time and telling Admiral the reason was because they (i.e. you) had heard that they up the premiums for attending speed awareness (etc) courses. The instructors were firmly of the view that if Admiral get away with it, then it is only a matter of time before all the other insurers do the same.

Its a bloomin cheek when you think about it, because you have not been convicted of or admitted any offense by taking the course.

As an aside, the course itself was actually very good. Thought provoking and interesting. Not at all patronising. Very useful in fact in terms of improving roadcraft and anticipation skills which can only be a good thing.

go with an open mind.

Good post.

If people continue to tell Admiral they have been on such a course and stay with them it defeats the object of going on the course

The course is equivilant to being pulled over by a traffic officer that has a strong word with you about your speeding and lets you on your way ... would you tell admiral about that?


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[ewwimbledon]

I will certainly be shopping around at renewal time if/when Admiral hike up the premium because of the course. But I would rather do that than risk not telling them to find that after I've smashed into someone's Bentley I have no cover.

Will go with an open mind and grateful for the course versus taking the points. My only gripe is the ridiculously early start time on a Sunday morning as I can't go in the week and all the afternoon slots were filled up. I wonder if you are allowed to be a little late, due to careful observation of all speed limits en route to the venue(!).

 

[ewwimbledon]

I did the course. Was ok although they could have done it in one hour not four. Focused on the difference between doing 40 and hitting a pedestrian and doing 30. Most of the people there had been caught doing 35 or so in a 30.

Got chatting to a guy who works for a company we are trying to get work from - so that was an added bonus.