Online Speed Awareness course??

[SteveR]

Herself got zapped a couple of weeks ago, 33 in a 30, and is considering going for the Course. However, because of Covid, no classroom based courses are available, and online zoom style courses are the only option for the forseeable future..


So now starts the problems... She is neither happy or confident online and something like this would be hugely stressful. Then there is the problem with a Zoom course and flakey internet here in the sticks, just to add to the pressure! Right now, the 100 quid and 3 points feel the lesser of two unpleasant choices!

Has anyone here done an online course and can give me a bit of feedback please. Time taken, how alert you need to be etc etc? PM if you prefer



Steve

[Godspeed]

I got caught a couple of months ago and opted for the online course. To be fair it was a really good course that just took up the morning.
It may be that you can join in to help her out if she’s not confident, but it was very relaxed and engaging.
If you take the 3 points then you may have to declare it which will cost you more in insurance.

[daveuprite]

At least it's not one of those speed punishment courses you used to have to attend in person. I called it the Condescension Course, run by puffed up officious coppers who spent 3 hours talking to us like primary school teachers. Awful. Afterwards I wished I'd taken the points.

[Jak*]

I did the online course last May. Really easy, friendly instructor, they want you to pass. It seemed to me to be much more about what the speed limits ought to be and how to avoid getting caught than the dangers of speeding. The instructor and I both agreed that the limit on the road I got done on (it was 50 on a clear dual carriageway with no buildings either side, just off the M1) was nonsensical. We agreed to differ on his assertion that every car has the same braking distance.
To be honest it was all pretty painless, we even had a coffee break in the middle. Definitely preferable to three points. The internet is a bit hit and miss where I live but as the course was in the morning it was okay. I guess if it is an option you could do the course elsewhere with a better connection.
Good luck.

[wideparting]

I got caught a couple of months ago and opted for the online course. To be fair it was a really good course that just took up the morning.
It may be that you can join in to help her out if she’s not confident, but it was very relaxed and engaging.
If you take the 3 points then you may have to declare it which will cost you more in insurance.

Beware, some insurance companys ask you have you done a speed awareness course, and up your policy anyway.

[byewayrider]

A good friend who drives hgv farm animal trucks got a phone ticket 6 points 200 quid and 8 weeks loss of licence and 3 years o drive carefully..

Strange as it seems the points didn't add anything to his car or motorbike policy's even when disclosed... Phone use is more serious than spedding for sure...

I'm sure if your wife explains to the online tutor they will take care of her... Its about education... Always thought 3mph over in a 30 wasn't a ticket... Maybe that's in England lol...

[Nigel]

Did one last year, triple checked everything worked before starting, if connection drops out you are stuffed!
Young lady who did course was great, saw pics of bikes in my background and she was a biker
Shown pictures of different roads and asked what we thought speed limit was? One was a 60 but with sharp right, I said 60, she said what with your knee down
Specifically checked insurance terms, no mention of speed awareness.

[Helicoptermanr22]

Tell her not to stress. Its really quite the opposite the chap taking the course are jovial characters and she will quickly realise she had nothing to worry about.

Go for it

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

My (now ex-) wife did a face to face one few years back. She'd been done for racing a bunch of lads on mopeds in her Fiat Coupe Turbo ...quite typical of her.

Her two takeaways were

1) None of the other women on the course knew what the speed limit was on the road where they were caught. They all found driving scary, and tried not to take too much notice of what was going on outside the car.

2) The second one was, that if you paid attention, you could build up a good picture of where all the fixed and mobile cameras were in the area. There was a really sneaky one up a residential road which monitored the 50 mph section of the West end of the M5 by the steel works.

[SteveR]

#25
Thanks all. The general consensus here and on a farming forum I frequent, is go Online and suck it up...

I can lurk in the background as IT support!!