Speed awareness course

onashoestring

On the UKRoed website you can see if there is a classroom course available outside of your area - you can also look at all the online courses available-some providers are cheaper than others so you can save money by doing an online course provided by a different authority. For example I checked Hartlepool Council website this morning and there were plenty of virtual course dates available- £73 saving £19 compared to the course offered by my local police authority.  

https://offer.ndors.org.uk

The online course is just the same as the classroom one - there is still a tutor - it’s just that for the online one you don’t have to travel and be there in person . 

As others have said you do not have a right to a classroom course so if one is not available and you choose not to do the online one you will have to pay a Fixed Penalty and will get the penalty points put on your license. 

Pennylane

Mutton_Geoff said:

Pennylane said:

Received my first ever fine for speeding. Offered a speed awareness course. First time I tried to book by phone. Spent an hour hanging on. Then tried online, put all my details in, refs etc, debit card in hand to pay and it says there are no classroom venues available. Rang again went through it all again and they could offer no venues. Suggested I do online course which I don’t want to do (not very techie) or accept the points and pay a fine which I don’t want to do.

Rang again today, still no venues. Apparently “due to covid” there are not enough tutors who want to do classroom sessions!  I have to ring again next week and see if they have released a venue!  The 28 days I have to book this is rapidly disappearing and it’s not my fault. 

What a dreadful system.  I have also emailed the Police twice whose name is on top of the original letter but they just send me links to online booking etc which of course are no good if there are no venues available. 

If you are tech savvy enough to have been posting here for 15 years, I think you'll be OK opening a Zoom link.

Thanks but I am worried about what happens if I lose the link or something goes wrong.  I am honestly hopeless.  I had to do one zoom thing during the pandemic and was a quivering wreck and that was with my son setting it all up.  

Pennylane

Alanp said:

Also make sure you have nobody in the room with you as that’s an instant fail…( when you do the online course).

Good job you said that!  I was thinking if it came to it I could get my son to supervise me. 

FindMyWayBack

What a shame you are so scared about it, I found it much easier than traipsing to a venue, it's very interesting and you learn loads, think of it more as an advanced drivers course, it's all about having the right attitude.

Belenus

Pennylane said:

Mutton_Geoff said:

Pennylane said:

Received my first ever fine for speeding. Offered a speed awareness course. First time I tried to book by phone. Spent an hour hanging on. Then tried online, put all my details in, refs etc, debit card in hand to pay and it says there are no classroom venues available. Rang again went through it all again and they could offer no venues. Suggested I do online course which I don’t want to do (not very techie) or accept the points and pay a fine which I don’t want to do.

Rang again today, still no venues. Apparently “due to covid” there are not enough tutors who want to do classroom sessions!  I have to ring again next week and see if they have released a venue!  The 28 days I have to book this is rapidly disappearing and it’s not my fault. 

What a dreadful system.  I have also emailed the Police twice whose name is on top of the original letter but they just send me links to online booking etc which of course are no good if there are no venues available. 

If you are tech savvy enough to have been posting here for 15 years, I think you'll be OK opening a Zoom link.

Thanks but I am worried about what happens if I lose the link or something goes wrong.  I am honestly hopeless.  I had to do one zoom thing during the pandemic and was a quivering wreck and that was with my son setting it all up.  

Just relax and do it. 

Driving a car is a lot more technical and far more dangerous than a Zoom call and you appear to be confident enough about that to drive faster than the speed limit. 

Username03725

Pennylane said:

Mutton_Geoff said:

Pennylane said:

Received my first ever fine for speeding. Offered a speed awareness course. First time I tried to book by phone. Spent an hour hanging on. Then tried online, put all my details in, refs etc, debit card in hand to pay and it says there are no classroom venues available. Rang again went through it all again and they could offer no venues. Suggested I do online course which I don’t want to do (not very techie) or accept the points and pay a fine which I don’t want to do.

Rang again today, still no venues. Apparently “due to covid” there are not enough tutors who want to do classroom sessions!  I have to ring again next week and see if they have released a venue!  The 28 days I have to book this is rapidly disappearing and it’s not my fault. 

What a dreadful system.  I have also emailed the Police twice whose name is on top of the original letter but they just send me links to online booking etc which of course are no good if there are no venues available. 

If you are tech savvy enough to have been posting here for 15 years, I think you'll be OK opening a Zoom link.

Thanks but I am worried about what happens if I lose the link or something goes wrong.  I am honestly hopeless.  I had to do one zoom thing during the pandemic and was a quivering wreck and that was with my son setting it all up.  

It seems that you can drive a car and post on the internet, so there’s nothing to worry about re a Zoom call.

The link will probably come by email, so forward that to yourself so you have a copy. Forward to someone you trust as a backup if needs be, or just copy the link and then paste it into a Word doc and save that on your computer. Losing it isn’t an issue.

If it goes wrong…? You mean if your broadband fails just at the wrong moment? Tough luck, but it’s no different from failing to arrive in person due to traffic or delayed public transport - you’ll have to talk to the relevant bodies to see what happens as a result.

As for doing it, it couldn’t be simpler. Click the link, hit the Join Meeting button then type your name into the box and wait till the meeting opens. The host (person at the other end) controls access so you can’t get that wrong. Make sure you aren’t on Mute unless instructed to be, and have your video camera on, if required. That’s the icon at the top that looks like a camera. 

Your best bet would be to do a few trial Zoom calls with family & friends though, to get used to how trivially easy it all is.

Mutton_Geoff

Pennylane said:

Mutton_Geoff said:

Pennylane said:

Received my first ever fine for speeding. Offered a speed awareness course. First time I tried to book by phone. Spent an hour hanging on. Then tried online, put all my details in, refs etc, debit card in hand to pay and it says there are no classroom venues available. Rang again went through it all again and they could offer no venues. Suggested I do online course which I don’t want to do (not very techie) or accept the points and pay a fine which I don’t want to do.

Rang again today, still no venues. Apparently “due to covid” there are not enough tutors who want to do classroom sessions!  I have to ring again next week and see if they have released a venue!  The 28 days I have to book this is rapidly disappearing and it’s not my fault. 

What a dreadful system.  I have also emailed the Police twice whose name is on top of the original letter but they just send me links to online booking etc which of course are no good if there are no venues available. 

If you are tech savvy enough to have been posting here for 15 years, I think you'll be OK opening a Zoom link.

Thanks but I am worried about what happens if I lose the link or something goes wrong.  I am honestly hopeless.  I had to do one zoom thing during the pandemic and was a quivering wreck and that was with my son setting it all up.  

In these situations, just ask yourself "what's the worst that could possibly happen".

silvercar

Mutton_Geoff said:

Pennylane said:

Mutton_Geoff said:

Pennylane said:

Received my first ever fine for speeding. Offered a speed awareness course. First time I tried to book by phone. Spent an hour hanging on. Then tried online, put all my details in, refs etc, debit card in hand to pay and it says there are no classroom venues available. Rang again went through it all again and they could offer no venues. Suggested I do online course which I don’t want to do (not very techie) or accept the points and pay a fine which I don’t want to do.

Rang again today, still no venues. Apparently “due to covid” there are not enough tutors who want to do classroom sessions!  I have to ring again next week and see if they have released a venue!  The 28 days I have to book this is rapidly disappearing and it’s not my fault. 

What a dreadful system.  I have also emailed the Police twice whose name is on top of the original letter but they just send me links to online booking etc which of course are no good if there are no venues available. 

If you are tech savvy enough to have been posting here for 15 years, I think you'll be OK opening a Zoom link.

Thanks but I am worried about what happens if I lose the link or something goes wrong.  I am honestly hopeless.  I had to do one zoom thing during the pandemic and was a quivering wreck and that was with my son setting it all up.  

In these situations, just ask yourself "what's the worst that could possibly happen".

The "worst that could happen" is probably what happened to someone when I did my course. A non tech savvy elderly lady had someone helping her join the meeting and that was fine. The instructor was happy with that as long as the friend then left the room. The course was quite interactive with the instructor asking participants questions, she couldn't work out how to come off mute at one point. At another point, about 15 minutes in, her internet or computer froze and the instructor gave her a few minutes to sort herself out, after which she was required to leave the course. The instructor said he would be in touch to offer her another attempt at a later date.

FindMyWayBack

silvercar said:

Mutton_Geoff said:

Pennylane said:

Mutton_Geoff said:

Pennylane said:

Received my first ever fine for speeding. Offered a speed awareness course. First time I tried to book by phone. Spent an hour hanging on. Then tried online, put all my details in, refs etc, debit card in hand to pay and it says there are no classroom venues available. Rang again went through it all again and they could offer no venues. Suggested I do online course which I don’t want to do (not very techie) or accept the points and pay a fine which I don’t want to do.

Rang again today, still no venues. Apparently “due to covid” there are not enough tutors who want to do classroom sessions!  I have to ring again next week and see if they have released a venue!  The 28 days I have to book this is rapidly disappearing and it’s not my fault. 

What a dreadful system.  I have also emailed the Police twice whose name is on top of the original letter but they just send me links to online booking etc which of course are no good if there are no venues available. 

If you are tech savvy enough to have been posting here for 15 years, I think you'll be OK opening a Zoom link.

Thanks but I am worried about what happens if I lose the link or something goes wrong.  I am honestly hopeless.  I had to do one zoom thing during the pandemic and was a quivering wreck and that was with my son setting it all up.  

In these situations, just ask yourself "what's the worst that could possibly happen".

The "worst that could happen" is probably what happened to someone when I did my course. A non tech savvy elderly lady had someone helping her join the meeting and that was fine. The instructor was happy with that as long as the friend then left the room. The course was quite interactive with the instructor asking participants questions, she couldn't work out how to come off mute at one point. At another point, about 15 minutes in, her internet or computer froze and the instructor gave her a few minutes to sort herself out, after which she was required to leave the course. The instructor said he would be in touch to offer her another attempt at a later date.

It does say in the literature and emails sent weeks before the course that some practice runs should be done, plenty of time to learn how to mute and un-mute.
I suspect fear is causing the OP to think can't do it when they are quite capable given instruction and test runs.

Pennylane

silvercar said:

Mutton_Geoff said:

Pennylane said:

Mutton_Geoff said:

Pennylane said:

Received my first ever fine for speeding. Offered a speed awareness course. First time I tried to book by phone. Spent an hour hanging on. Then tried online, put all my details in, refs etc, debit card in hand to pay and it says there are no classroom venues available. Rang again went through it all again and they could offer no venues. Suggested I do online course which I don’t want to do (not very techie) or accept the points and pay a fine which I don’t want to do.

Rang again today, still no venues. Apparently “due to covid” there are not enough tutors who want to do classroom sessions!  I have to ring again next week and see if they have released a venue!  The 28 days I have to book this is rapidly disappearing and it’s not my fault. 

What a dreadful system.  I have also emailed the Police twice whose name is on top of the original letter but they just send me links to online booking etc which of course are no good if there are no venues available. 

If you are tech savvy enough to have been posting here for 15 years, I think you'll be OK opening a Zoom link.

Thanks but I am worried about what happens if I lose the link or something goes wrong.  I am honestly hopeless.  I had to do one zoom thing during the pandemic and was a quivering wreck and that was with my son setting it all up.  

In these situations, just ask yourself "what's the worst that could possibly happen".

The "worst that could happen" is probably what happened to someone when I did my course. A non tech savvy elderly lady had someone helping her join the meeting and that was fine. The instructor was happy with that as long as the friend then left the room. The course was quite interactive with the instructor asking participants questions, she couldn't work out how to come off mute at one point. At another point, about 15 minutes in, her internet or computer froze and the instructor gave her a few minutes to sort herself out, after which she was required to leave the course. The instructor said he would be in touch to offer her another attempt at a later date.

Exactly!  That would be me.  🥺