Speed Awareness Course

[Mick F]

Thank you TC.

I was asking these questions, not for our friend, but out of interest. It had never occurred to me that DVLA or anywhere else would have details about someone's driving record and misdemeanours without it being on the driving licence.

Some driving jobs require a "clean" licence. Your licence could be clean ......... but it's not really clean, but you can keep it secret. Does this go against justice being seen to be done? Do you have to declare this to your insurance company?

I have been done for speeding three times in my driving life. First car was in Jan 1972.
I was stopped in Portsmouth in 1973 by a copper on a motorbike - endorsement (you were allowed three in those days) and a fine.
I went for many years from then to 1992 in Glasgow. Stopped on the M8 at 3am doing 75, but it's a 60 limit. Three points and a fine.
Next time was in Plymouth in 1995 by one of the first speed cameras in the city. The previous points had expired, but I got three points again and a fine. 40odd in a 30 limit. Dual carriageway mid morning, no other traffic.

That last one was quite amusing - and interesting.
First thing I knew was a letter through the door. I didn't believe the info so I phoned the number and made an appointment to see the traffic Sgt down in Plympton.
Off I went and into his office. He had slides of the two camera shots - the camera takes two so you can see how far the car has gone over the white dashes on the road. He showed me the photos, and put a ruler across the screen and counted the dashes and referred to a chart with dashes per speed. It that agrees with the radar readout, you're nicked!

You could see the road deserted in front of me and on the other side. These days, that road is packed with parked cars and traffic, but back then, it was very quiet.

He could zoom in to the back of the car and you could see the back of my head. You could see my hands on the wheel and my wedding ring and wrist watch on the left, and as I was in a Mini with a centre speedo cluster, you could see my speed!

Absolutely no way could I say, "It wasn't me guv!".

[Ben@Forest]

Thank you TC.

I was asking these questions, not for our friend, but out of interest. It had never occurred to me that DVLA or anywhere else would have details about someone's driving record and misdemeanours without it being on the driving licence.

Some driving jobs require a "clean" licence. Your licence could be clean ......... but it's not really clean, but you can keep it secret. Does this go against justice being seen to be done? Do you have to declare this to your insurance company?

Are points actually recorded on the plastic photocard licence? I'd have thought not, partly because that's cost but partly because what's the point (no pun intended) when the police just need to check on a computer to see the status of your driving licence and the points on it.

At the SAC I attended the advice about insurance was don't declare it unless you are asked, if you are asked don't lie but try another company. They implied that at least some insurers do not ask.

[100%JR]

I'm not convinced about SACs.
They state you can only do one every 5 years and if caught again within that time you WILL get points/fine.Load of rubbish.
I've done THREE SACs in 5 years.I always contest the allegation and always get offered a SAC.
The people who run the courses are so brainwashed/jobsworths.They're basically a load of old rubbish that you have to agree to everything said or they threaten to tell you to leave and you then get points and a fine.
I now just sit there,listen to the rubbish and nod/agree

Before anyone jumps in about me having three in five years please don't bother finger pointing as there is a very good reason I always contest the allegation

[Cyril Haearn]

I'm not convinced about SACs.
They state you can only do one every 5 years and if caught again within that time you WILL get points/fine.Load of rubbish.
I've done THREE SACs in 5 years.I always contest the allegation and always get offered a SAC.
The people who run the courses are so brainwashed/jobsworths.They're basically a load of old rubbish that you have to agree to everything said or they threaten to tell you to leave and you then get points and a fine.
I now just sit there,listen to the rubbish and nod/agree

Before anyone jumps in about me having three in five years please don't bother finger pointing as there is a very good reason I always contest the allegation

What is the very good reason, if one may ask?

[Cyril Haearn]

I have never been caught exceeding the maximum speed limit but if I had been I would be ashamed and try to keep it secret

Proud to report that I was once stopped and spoken to by West Merci Police for driving quite slowly
Anyone else been stopped for that ""Offence""?

[Mick F]

I couldn't contest my allegation. You could see my speedometer!
If you get done by a speed camera, do as I did and go and see the evidence.

My sister had a Landrover some years ago. A rather underpowered thing it was. 50mph on the M5 and the coppers pulled her over because she was driving too slowly.

[Cyril Haearn]

I couldn't contest my allegation. You could see my speedometer!
If you get done by a speed camera, do as I did and go and see the evidence.

My sister had a Landrover some years ago. A rather underpowered thing it was. 50mph on the M5 and the coppers pulled her over because she was driving too slowly.

That makes two of us, +1
What law did the cops apply, was she charged, is there a minimum speed limit there?

[Mick F]

She was warned that she was a hazard being that slow at that point on the network at that time of day etc and that perhaps she should find another route next time.
Just advice, not breaking any laws.

She'd joined the M5 from the M54 and it's busy there during the day. She hated that junction and I don't blame her as I hate it too. Awful place.

[Cyril Haearn]

She was warned that she was a hazard being that slow at that point on the network at that time of day etc and that perhaps she should find another route next time.
Just advice, not breaking any laws.

She'd joined the M5 from the M54 and it's busy there during the day. She hated that junction and I don't blame her as I hate it too. Awful place.

50 mph is quite ok, when traffic is thick and one leaves gaps one could often not do more
Do the cops expect trucks to do 56+/0 all the time?

[Mick F]

No, the cops expect that HGVs will do the max speed that they can legally do, 60mph.
When I've been on the motorways, they all do around the 60 mark which is annoying to me because I like to do 65 as per my speedo. Checking that on my TomTom, I'm doing 62 and only crawling past the juggenauts and have to speed up sometimes, so they are doing more than 56.

[mjr]

My sister had a Landrover some years ago. A rather underpowered thing it was. 50mph on the M5 and the coppers pulled her over because she was driving too slowly.

What a contrast to the attitudes towards cyclists, who are often berated to slow down regardless of the situation

[100%JR]

I'm not convinced about SACs.
They state you can only do one every 5 years and if caught again within that time you WILL get points/fine.Load of rubbish.
I've done THREE SACs in 5 years.I always contest the allegation and always get offered a SAC.
The people who run the courses are so brainwashed/jobsworths.They're basically a load of old rubbish that you have to agree to everything said or they threaten to tell you to leave and you then get points and a fine.
I now just sit there,listen to the rubbish and nod/agree

Before anyone jumps in about me having three in five years please don't bother finger pointing as there is a very good reason I always contest the allegation

What is the very good reason, if one may ask?

I was “caught” on all three occasions by the same average speed cameras.They are on my route home from work(60mph).To be “caught” you have to drive through at least Two average speed cameras.I always turn off between two.I asked for proof,they couldn’t give it.It makes no difference if you hit the first camera at 60mph or 150mph they have to have two readings.Obviously a faulty system.I’ve reported it but why would they fix it when they can get revenue from it
South Yorkshire Police Force doesn’t have a particularly good record when it comes to honesty.

[thirdcrank]

I don't know anything about average speed cameras but I'd have assumed they were an electronic version of the earliest speed traps which had two policemen at a known distance apart on the road, timing vehicles between those points with a stopwatch. I must be wrong but I can't see how one average speed camera of a pair could produce a speed reading. I'd have assumed it would only record its being passed by the vehicle.

I also believed - perhaps wrongly - that attendance on a course required acceptance of having committed the offence, even if that was through gritted teeth.

I understand that a lot of people are simply looking to move on as quickly as possible, but if the evidence doesn't exist, shelling out to attend a course seems unnecessary, because without the evidence it's hard to see how it could pass the first base.

(I've probably posted before about using one of the old radar sets on Dewsbury Road in Leeds fifty years ago when some drivers, having been detected by the radar, used to stop and go into the public conveniences in Cross Flatts Park, in a vain attempt to increase the time before they reached the second - repeater - unit, where they were stopped and reported all the same. )

[hondated]

Just a little bit off thread. 30mph speed limit introduced 1930. What
You know the arguments so I won't writing anything other than cars then to today.

[Cyril Haearn]

Just a little bit off thread. 30mph speed limit introduced 1930. What
You know the arguments so I won't writing anything other than cars then to today.

30 kmh would be right, 2018: 18 mph