I have been on a speed awareness workshop this afternoon after being clocked at 38mph in a 30mph. Not in the camper I might add. It was really interesting and informative, but the thing that has made the biggest impression on me, is that since passing my test 45 years ago, there have been around 450 changes to the Highway Code. Approx 10 per year
Iv'e also done one a few months back, better than the points but sometimes i think i'd rather be in a speeding car with a young lad who's aware than pootling along with some old bid who clearly should'nt be on the road, I see it everyday, old people causing mayhem not being aware of other road users, pulling out, changing lanes ect...
I did one a few years ago. The police at the time stressed that you are 90% more likely to have an accident within 3 miles of your home.! They didn't find it funny when I said I was going to move house the others did appreciate my humor
I did one a few years back - when you go out for 'the drive' I felt like a boy racer again, they told me to floor it until I got up to speed and basically rev the Marmite out of it. I don't even drive my car like the way they were showing me. (Got done doing 37 in a 30, on a dual carriageway in watford, thought it was a 40). I do remember an old bag on the course, wouldn't listen, argumentative and piped up saying "I got caught as my speedo don't work"... I believe she was 'referred'.
If you had said "I was passing a school doing 37 in a 30".. I'd of said tough titty, But on a dual carriageway? That's harsh. I had a tug from the old bill on my bike doing a lot of mph onto a motor way slip road.. I had my tax disc examined and my bike admired.. Not even a proper telling off.
If people learn a lesson from this then its good, well done, speeding is not necessary, you dont get their faster on our roads , they are to congested .When we travelled 200 miles last week ,i put in destination and we arrived within 5 mins of time stated and i didnt speed anywhere. Accidents are caused by people not concentrating on what they are doing and not having respect for others on the road, we used to have adverts telling people how dangerous it is to drive close and too fast but people just do what they want now, traffic calming proves speeding is not necessary and causes congestion. Sorry ive been wiped out twice by a speeding driver , and i might be a bit bias full stop.
Once i decided to, it took me years to force myself to drive within the speed limits. As Barney says you get there just as fast. It's really relaxing cruising round too.
I agree with Barney an Zed (even woody to a certain extent) driving can be a very dangerous pastime, In my job i see the consequences of poor driving all too often. Don't. Endanger others because you are in a rush to go nowhere fast.
i got "done" years ago in a 2a landy 1969, just a producer at the time, was on classic insurance with a 1500 mile limit which i was on so i'd disconnected the speedo cable.
I'm surprised I never got caught - when my Mum was in hospital some years back, I'd finish work, drive form Sheffield to Tonbridge, spend the weekend visiting her in hospital/sorting things out, then Sunday tea time, hammered it home again to try to forget about it all and get home quickly. One time I heard this weird 'purring' noise from the car (an old Vauxhall Corsa, bought off a mate for £100) - it was the windscreen wipers vibrating - looked at the speedo and I was doing 100 ... frightened myself by that. I met mr moosey shortly after that and he taught me the error of my ways. I still go a bit over 70 on the motorway (in the car!), but am way more careful these days.
A couple more things from the course. If you hit a child when doing 30mph there is a 7% chance of that child being killed. At 35mph that increases to 31%. On average, if you hit someone with a car who is taller than 4ft 11 inches, they will be thrown into the air and come down onto the car. Below that height they will go under the car. I was clocked at 38mph, and although I was aware that I was in a 30mph area, I didn't feel as though I was speeding. But I will be keeping an eye on the speedo in future. If you drive a hundred miles at 80mph, and your mate does the same journey but at 70mph, you only arrive 10 minutes before him! As well as talking about speed, there was a lot about safer driving in general. Being more aware and anticipating, looking ahead. And lack of concentration is a big issue! All in all, I would advise anyone to go on the course if they get the opportunity.
Gives you time to drink at least two beers or polish your vehicle.... 10 mins so much time saved and so much you could do
I do speed, but only where there are no pedestrians, which basically leaves the motorways and dual carriageways. I've done a speed awareness, but Im always fully aware of how fast I should be going and how fast I am going. The area i live in is a 20mph area because there are loads of kids about and there's still far too many people whizzing about, but i think even some of the police cars around here don't realise it's a 20zone. In my head I think speeding in built up areas is a far worse crime than doing 90mph on a relatively quiet motorway.
Its not speed that kills, its bad driving, if I ever get pulled and the copper asks me why he pulled me, will tell him " driving without due care and attention" cos even at speed you should have the situational awareness to spot the undercover/marked car, if you don't you are going too fast! Yes, drive at the speed limit, you will get there when the sat nav says.. But most of the time you can knock at least 25% off... Makes a big difference on a Monday morning driving to Wolverhampton from Somerset...
I'd agree. I was hauled off to do one rather than pay the fine and was all ready to sneer. I was surprised how much I learnt. Main takeaway was how lethal country roads are: 120mph head-ons if both parties are doing 60. Noone gets out of that alive. Much more dangerous than motorways.
