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How to ask for a Speed Awareness course?
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Motor insurance are wise to this aren't they? tbf it was many years ago for me, luckily, but my recollection is that a speed awareness course has to be declared in the same way as points. The advantage to them (aside from theoretical education) is avoiding totting up, but the fact that you were recorded by the police doing that speed remains.
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I'm surprised by this post. I thought that, once the policy year has been started, the premium is fixed for the policy year. I know you have to report points, but I thought that any premium increase only applies at the next renewal?
Some unasked-for advice: My car has a speed limiter that I usually engage. It keeps me on the straight and narrow, so to speak. Also, Google Maps has a feature that tells me if I'm speeding, as well as warning of speed cameras up ahead.
No reliance should be placed on the above! Absolutely none, do you hear?0 -
I would need to look back through my emails etc but have memories (I think) of the premium going up and getting hit with an admin fee because they found out from DVLA rather than from me.
Speed limiter - the nearest I have to that is cruise control!
Google maps - I find it only intermittently warns of speed cameras.
Talking of Google maps - something else that has just occurred to me: I didn't realise until a couple of days ago, when using it to go somewhere I hadn't been before, that the speedometer in my car underreads slightly by 1 or 2 mph. Other cars I have had have over-read.
Is this a tenable argument when throwing myself on the mercy of the Chief Constable?
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"I would need to look back through my emails etc but have memories (I think) of the premium going up and getting hit with an admin fee because they found out from DVLA rather than from me."
Maybe, you went past the renewal date without telling them?
No reliance should be placed on the above! Absolutely none, do you hear?0 -
You're going to get no sympathy on this forum I'm afraid. Everyone on MSE goes 10mph under the limit. I'm the only one who'll openly admit to going over.
I've only been done the once. Think it was 42 in a 30. Whatever it was if I'd have been doing 1mph more then I wouldn't have had the option of a speed awareness course.
I remember them saying on the course that if you get done again within x-timeframe then you don't get the option again of another course but I can't remember what that timeframe is.
I don't know whether you're within the threshold for the course & I'm not looking in to it. I'll assume you've calculated correctly.
Way I see it - don't ask don't get.
But at the same time don't let the timeframe pass for paying up any fine as in "I didn't pay the fine because I was waiting on a reply to my question" - I can't see that washing. So I'd wait until the last day & if they haven't responded then I'd take it as a tough luck & pay up.
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Absolutely not, it was during the currency of the policy - a week or 2 after getting the NIP.
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Not after sympathy. I said 'fair cop' in the OP.
But yes good advice about keeping to time limits in your last para.
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I'll send a contrite email to the chief constable - nothing ventured nothing gained, if you don't ask you don't get etc etc.
Honestly that'll be a waste of both your and their time - the boundaries are fixed and escalating it isn't going to get you a different answer.
If you feel the speed was inaccurate you can opt for court - but that's not going to get you a course and is more likely to get you the same 3 points and a higher financial penalty when costs etc are taken into consideration.
As others have said 76 in a 60 is a conscious decision (or a significant lack of concentration) rather than just nudging over the limit and as such deserves the penalty
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3 points on a previously clean licence is unlikely to have much effect on premiums.
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My advice would be to NOT rely on Google Maps for speed limits - it is wrong way too many times (in both directions) to be deemed reliable. The same goes for any in-car tech which retrieves the speed limit from a database/map, and any tech which tries to recognise speed signs.
The only way to be sure is to be observant and take note of the signage.
A speed limiter (a cruise control can act indirectly as a speed limiter, in a way) is only useful if you 100% know the speed limit.
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