How to ask for a Speed Awareness course?

ripofflondon

My advice would be to NOT rely on Google Maps for speed limits

I didn't mean I was relying on it to tell me what the speed limit is on a particular stretch of road; I meant that the speed expressed in digits was 1 or 2 MPH > what the speedometer was saying.

Okell

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81988684#Comment_81988684

Assuming your previous points have expired, pretty much all the threads i've read on FTLA suggest that 3 points will have miminal if not zero impact on insurance premiums.

It's once you get above 3 it becomes more expensive.

As others have said it's a waste of time and effort trying to persuade them to offer you a course. Why should they?

Okell

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81988958#Comment_81988958

This ^

Why people think some piece of technology they don't understand is more reliable than their eyesight is beyond me.

Okell

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81988783#Comment_81988783

"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…"

You've just made that up because everyone here doesn't claim always to go 10mph under the limit and you aren't the only one to admit to going over the speed limit, are you?

The one thing that is generally agreed on here is that any driver who relies on google maps or Waze or any other "clever" bit of technology to tell them what the current speed limit is, is asking to be gifted points on their licence.

Aretnap

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.

If the insurance company specifically asks if you've done a speed awareness course then you have to declare it, subject to an argument about whether they become spent immediately as alternatives to prosecution under the latest version of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, which I'm not sure has ever been tested.

However, to reasonable approximation, no insurers currently do ask about speed awareness courses. Admiral used to be the big exception, but they dropped the words "speed awareness courses" from their question on convictions etc a number of years ago.

MattMattMattUK

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81988989#Comment_81988989

Google Maps speed reporting is normally very accurate apart from a fraction of a second either side of extreme acceleration or deceleration. The speedo on nearly every car overstates speed by up to 10%, manufacturers do this because under reporting is both a liability issue, where as over reporting speed is not. By law a speedo must never under report, even by a fraction of a mile per hour, however over reporting by up to 10%+2.5mph or 5%+6.2mph is allowed. It is likely that if you were doing a true 76mph your speedo was showing over 80mph.

Nasqueron

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81989074#Comment_81989074

Speedo accuracy limit is 10%+6.25mph (equivalent to 10%+10kmph as it's an EU regulation)

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/25/contents/made#sch3

Troytempest

I had £100 fine and 3 points a couple of years ago on a clean licence……had zero affect on insurance premium.

TooManyPoints

…but my recollection is that a speed awareness course has to be declared in the same way as points.

As far as I know only one major insurer - the Admiral group - asked about courses and required them to be declared. As above, they stopped doing so some years ago.

If the insurance company specifically asks if you've done a speed awareness course then you have to declare it, subject to an argument about whether they become spent immediately as alternatives to prosecution under the latest version of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, which I'm not sure has ever been tested.

As far as I am aware, speed awareness courses are totally outside the law. there is no legislation covering them being offered or taken. I haven't dissected the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act but I would be very surprised if awareness courses fell within the sections on "Alternatives to Prosecution".

This would mean that courses never become spent and, like a policy cancellation, must be declared forever if the question is asked. However, since NDORS are the only people who retain a record of course participants and they delete the record after 3.5 years, it would be hard to see how anybody could be accused of failing to declare one after that time.

B0bbyEwing

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81988797#Comment_81988797

Was not the point being made but hey ho.