Speeding Awareness Course........

[BTB 500]

There's maybe a more general qusetion - does say a single SP30 in 5 years justify loading insurance.

Who knows, but equally your insurance can go up (or down) if you notify them that you've changed job (even if the car is insured for social use only). It's all based on statistics.

 

[mat8n]

You go on A speed awareness course, you are taught the implications of your wrong doing.
You are taught to drive at safer speeds and within the speed limits.

Surely from that you should be entitled to a discount on your insurance not a loading?

You can take the 3 points and pay the £100 and accept that your insurance may go up because you haven't learnt your lesson. Accept if you get caught again half your license will be gone.

or

Pay £85, take a half day course(which is your time) be taught on your wrong doings and learn the reasons why the speed limits are in place, hopefully at the end of it you'll be driving within the speed limit and a much safer driver, walk away with a clean license and no further costs.......to be loaded after you have 'done your time' is wrong and unfair.

 

[BTB 500]

Anecdotally I know a couple of people who have done SACs (including my wife), and there's been no lasting change in their driving habits.

IMHO someone with 6 or 9 points will drive slower than someone with 3 less points and a SAC!

 

[mat8n]

Anecdotally I know a couple of people who have done SACs (including my wife), and there's been no lasting change in their driving habits.

IMHO someone with 6 or 9 points will drive slower than someone with 3 less points and a SAC!

It hasn't changed my driving style. 3 points would have

but that isn't their thinking.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

You go on A speed awareness course, you are taught the implications of your wrong doing.
You are taught to drive at safer speeds and within the speed limits.

Surely from that you should be entitled to a discount on your insurance not a loading?

You can take the 3 points and pay the £100 and accept that your insurance may go up because you haven't learnt your lesson. Accept if you get caught again half your license will be gone.

or

Pay £85, take a half day course(which is your time) be taught on your wrong doings and learn the reasons why the speed limits are in place, hopefully at the end of it you'll be driving within the speed limit and a much safer driver, walk away with a clean license and no further costs.......to be loaded after you have 'done your time' is wrong and unfair.

It hasn't changed my driving style. 3 points would have

but that isn't their thinking.

Erm...

 

[mat8n]

It's not about what I think or do, or what others think or do.

The insurance companies shouldn't be asking about the course, people have questioned this issue before.
They told me the facts, ive relayed them. I agree the insurance companies shouldn't ask or be informed about the course.

The course will not stop me speeding, that is a completely separate thing

 

[zipdip]

Well if you go on the course your fee will just pay for more speed cameras and new vans for the company that runs it,to get 3 points and a fine will not make any difference to what you pay for insurance,ok if you have 6 points already of course take the course,I suspect the people who run the course have seen a drop of in numbers and believe it is because insurance are asking about the courses.

 

[whitenemesis]

It's not about what I think or do, or what others think or do.

The insurance companies shouldn't be asking about the course, people have questioned this issue before.
They told me the facts, ive relayed them. I agree the insurance companies shouldn't ask or be informed about the course.

The course will not stop me speeding, that is a completely separate thing

Why shouldn't they be asking? Insurers need to be aware of all and any situation that may change the risk (you) they are about to insure. Whether they change their premium in knowledge of that information is for them to decide, it's their business.

 

[E55BOF]

I had to attend one of these courses as part of a work study about 3 years ago. All it convinced me of was that I wouldn't waste 4 1/2 hours of my life doing it unless I was sitting on 9 points desperate to keep my licence, I'd just suck up the 3 points.

I know what you mean. I was looking forward to lots of gory photographs and case studies, but there was none of that. I learnt virtually nothing I didn't know already from it, and it certainly didn't change my driving. Boring was the word.

Might not apply to everyone, though; there were a couple pf dopey f****ts on it - one had been caught by a very visible speed camera on her way to the course, and the other silly old sod was utterly convinced that the inside lane on motorways was for lorries only - who may possibly have learnt something.

The only thing the experience taught me was that a stretch of road that I (silly old sod...) was utterly convinced had a 40 mph limit, in fact had a 30 mph limit, and I had found that out already after receiving the NIP.

I'd do it again if it happened again, though, just in case; three points puts you a little closer to being desperate to keep your licence.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

The ones that I have been on worked, both of them.

 

[tangey]

When I was offered the speed awareness course a couple of years ago the benefits were stated as:-

1) no points
2) Insurance companies don't ask, or load based on having taken one


So I understand the feeling of "unfairness" that taking one MAY affect your renewal quote.

Some insurance companies do ask, some do not. Elephant and admiral definitely do as I recall. Another one that I spoke to on the phone to get a quote seemed really surprised that other companies were asking. I read somewhere on the internet (so it must be true), that unless you tell there, there is no way for them to find out. Even after an accident, it can not be discovered that you had previously taken a course.

 

[renault12ts]

When I was offered the speed awareness course a couple of years ago the benefits were stated as:-

1) no points
2) Insurance companies don't ask, or load based on having taken one


So I understand the feeling of "unfairness" that taking one MAY affect your renewal quote.

Some insurance companies do ask, some do not. Elephant and admiral definitely do as I recall. Another one that I spoke to on the phone to get a quote seemed really surprised that other companies were asking. I read somewhere on the internet (so it must be true), that unless you tell there, there is no way for them to find out. Even after an accident, it can not be discovered that you had previously taken a course.

If a record is kept, as it is, it can be discovered.

 

[Dryce]

Might not apply to everyone,

My observation of people I know is that there are those who don't really seem to care about speed - getting caught regularly. But this is because they get away with taking liberties a lot of the time.

And there are those who are mortified if they get caught. They get caught infrequently because of a slip of concentration or misunderstanding. Just getting caught gets them to review their driving habits and avoid making the same *mistake* again.

So if all people are like that then the SAC is a waste of time. The first group just see it as a way of defering points till next time - the second group will adjust their driving to try and avoid getting caught again anyway.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

My observation of people I know is that there are those who don't really seem to care about speed - getting caught regularly. But this is because they get away with taking liberties a lot of the time.

And there are those who are mortified if they get caught. They get caught infrequently because of a slip of concentration or misunderstanding. Just getting caught gets them to review their driving habits and avoid making the same *mistake* again.

So if all people are like that then the SAC is a waste of time. The first group just see it as a way of defering points till next time - the second group will adjust their driving to try and avoid getting caught again anyway.

I'll admit that I saw speeding convictions as an occupational hazard and was resigned to collecting them sporadically. High miles and driving through unfamiliar cities was the cause for feeling that way.

I now have a clean licence and hope to keep it that way while being conscious that should I be unlucky/stupid I should be able to do another course and keep a clean licence.

 

[BTB 500]

Even after an accident, it can not be discovered that you had previously taken a course.

One of the criteria for being offered a SAC is that you haven't attended one in the last 3 years. So there's definitely an 'official' record kept, although I've no idea how easily insurance companies can access that data.

I'm pretty sure the situation is as already mentioned i.e. if you are specifically asked whether you've attended a SAC you must answer truthfully (as with all questions). But not all companies will ask.

 

[tangey]

One of the criteria for being offered a SAC is that you haven't attended one in the last 3 years. So there's definitely an 'official' record kept, although I've no idea how easily insurance companies can access that data.

I'm pretty sure the situation is as already mentioned i.e. if you are specifically asked whether you've attended a SAC you must answer truthfully (as with all questions). But not all companies will ask.

Ah but there is always the catch-all that roughly says you have to tell us anything you feel might be important. Being caught for speeding might be hard to argue as not being important, regardless of how it was dealt with.

 

[E55BOF]

Ah but there is always the catch-all that roughly says you have to tell us anything you feel might be important. Being caught for speeding might be hard to argue as not being important, regardless of how it was dealt with.

ISTR there was a change in the law fairly recently, the effect of which was that if an insurance company did not specifically ask for a piece of information, not providing it did not void the contract, and hence could not be used as a get-out route.

 

[tangey]

ISTR there was a change in the law fairly recently, the effect of which was that if an insurance company did not specifically ask for a piece of information, not providing it did not void the contract, and hence could not be used as a get-out route.

Wasn't aware of that...thanks

 

[Dryce]

ISTR there was a change in the law fairly recently, the effect of which was that if an insurance company did not specifically ask for a piece of information, not providing it did not void the contract, and hence could not be used as a get-out route.

AIUI that's not what the change means.

It used to be the case that the insurer could claim just about anything you didn't disclose or offer up in the way of information let them off the hook.

The legislation has shifted the balance of power on this to make it more reasonable.

So you still have to be responsible and you are expected to disclose anything relevant - even if not explicitly asked. But conversely the insurer would have to make a stronger and clearer linkage between that lack of disclosure and the nature of the claim should there be a dispute.

So the waters are muddy - but the insurer can't just void a claim arbitrarily by claiming lack of disclosure - which was the simplistic implication of the old system.

 

[mat8n]

OK, so my insurance is due..... Sorted out a good deal online... Got a call to discuss it, one question was about the courses.... I said no(my choice)... He got my driving licence number to check things over, like they do.
Another incident flagged up{irrelevant and no problem)... Nothing else... Clean license and nothing came back after their checks.

Just saying.