Naughty Boys Class

[aj76]

Mrs had to do one a few years ago, insurers are onto them now so many now ask have you been convicted for any motoring offences or had to attend a speed awareness course in x years and apply the same price increase as and offence so up to you which option you take you'll still end up paying for it in the longrun

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[TamSV]

Originally Posted by L3nny

I know. Fancy looking up the road rather than paying attention to vans on the flyovers. Surprised I make it to the end of the driveway.

Sounds like I'm in for a fun evening.

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It does sound awful. I think I would take the points.

Look on the bright side - the camera can't get you for the body in the boot

[Littlepeahead]

My insurance company asked, I said I'd done one and as a result was now much more speed aware, they reduced my policy by an extra £50.

Brother in law took the points. Had to take a day off work which cost him £200 and then his insurance went up by another £150. And of course if he gets caught again they'll be no offer of a course and he'll be on 6 points which really racks up the insurance premium.

Maybe there is something in the thought process behind it. Some of those who say 'I don't want to spend 4 hours being told I'm not always right' may well be the ones who also feel their speeding is justified.

The stopping distance differences between 30, 33.5 and 38 are quite scary when the kid appears out in front of you on a bike with no brakes. I was the kid, not the driver, and thankfully the driver wasn't speeding! My parents made me go round to apologise.

[Red Herring]

Originally Posted by Littlepeahead

....
The stopping distance differences between 30, 33.5 and 38 are quite scary when the kid appears out in front of you on a bike with no brakes.

Which is a very good point, so don't do 38, or even 30 for that matter, if there is a possibility of that happening...... Strangely enough the vast majority of drivers seem to subconsciously recognise this and as a result tend to behave in really built up areas. Of course there are always exceptions, (many unfortunately motorcyclists) but not enough of them to get the same return on your investment in a camera van as say perhaps deploying it alongside a nice open piece of dual carriageway with nothing for miles in any direction, except perhaps for the 50mph repeaters spoiling the view across the countryside.....

Still, life goes on and there are more important things to focus on......

[L3nny]

So I went to the class yesterday evening. The waiting list was that long!

I went into the course with an open mind, I was hoping they would be able to explain how driving at a speed that will allow you to stop well within the distance you can see to be clear can be dangerous if it's above the limit, even though in other countries the speed I was driving is legal.

They didn't

What the did do was manage to fill 4 hours with condescending nonsense using "facts" even Donald Trump would hesitate to reference. It was real basic noddy stuff. The instructor was so patronising it wound me up, every question they asked was leading and they threw a sulk when you didn't give them the obvious answer.

The stock answer to everything was, "I'm not going to argue with you on this one" when presented with a tricky question.

When asked if there were any bikers in the room I raised my hand, he then asked, "So how do other road users treat you?
When I answered "Mostly with courtesy and respect", he didn't like that. He was actually trying to start a conflict between me and the 22 other people in the room.

Things I learneded.

Going a little bit faster affects your braking distance exponentially, this is the video they showed us. Still didn't address why it's not safe if you can see the road to be clear though.

Turn your wheels to the left if you are on the hard shoulder in case you are rear ended you wont end up on the carriageway
When waiting to turn right, keep your wheels straight for the same reason.

Other things
Speed cameras are a hazard and have caused accidents
Traffic calming is a hazard and causes accidents, it also causes patients in ambulances injuries when going over speed humps
Until 2005 there was no criteria for fixed speed camera placement, after 2005 there only has to be 3 incidents in 3 years. Previously installed cameras do not need to be moved to comply.
There is still no criteria for mobile units.
When presented with a piece of paper containing the speed limit in a built up area, then asked what the limit is 1 minute later, 20% of my class would still get it wrong.
When asked about other speed limits, over half the class would get them wrong.

Did I leave the room knowing more than I did when I entered?
Yes
So I suppose it had some benefit and other people in there obviously took away a lot more.

Still the worst 4 hours of my life though. And I had a Wolves season ticket for 10 years.

[SV650rules]

I am always amazed by how fast some cars and vans go on carparks, where vehicles a liable to reverse out and there are kids around. On our estate there is a kids playground and trees at the side of the road (and cats and dogs), I normally do no more than 20 on estate roads (even though it is a 30 limit) and have people behind me with their bumper almost touching mine, obviously wanting to go faster, it is inappropriate speed that is the problem. Driving at a speed appropriate to how far ahead you can see is also a thing some people seem to ignore, and some people don't slow down early enough when approaching obstructions in the road, seeming confident it will clear before they get there. Its amazing how much time you don't save by rushing everywhere.

@L3nny
Saw a bloke with a Jack Russell once in a pub and there was a wolves match on the TV, the other team scored and the dog covered its eyes with its front paws and whined, I said to the guy 'does he always do that when wolves are losing', bloke said 'yeah, he's a pretty smart dog'. I asked the guy how his dog reacted when wolves were winning, he said, 'don't know mate, only had him 3 years'.