[nicktyler]

Basically I got a NIP for doing 83mph on an almost empty 3 lane motorway the other sunday afternoon. I'm not condoning speeding but this case may not be the crime of the century. I diddn't even see the camera so I wasn't speeding excessivley and braked suddenly to that speed either. Just happily cruising along with the traffic. I have the choice of £60 fine and 3 points or a driver awareness course which costs £95 and takes 4hrs.

I have a clean licence, I'm 31 and have 7 yrs no claims. Should I take the points or go on the course?

Do you have to declare for insurance that you have been on one of the courses? This sees to have caused a split of opinion elsewhere on the net but perhaps one of our resident law enforcers can shed some light on it. If so I bet it would affect your premium the same as points anyway.

Any advice? I'm leaning towards the course if you don't have to disclose and points if you do.

[xs2man]

Course. Its a no brainer. If you take the points, you have to declare them to the insurance companies for 5 years. That'll cost more than the £35 extra you have to pay for the course (even if you have to take a day off work to go to the course).

[MEGA]

You don't need to declare the course. You have not been prosecuted as you took the course in lieu of a criminal prosecution so there is no decision to make here. Clean license, nothing to declare - very simple decision.

ps. 83! Harsh! Pure revenue generation. I bet you and the 100 cars around you have all had the same letter today..

[DarkAnt335i]

I've done the course. Its Was actually quiet a funny afternoon. Defiantly the better option as you have to take into account the point will affect your insurance for a good few years not to mention if you get caught again.

[nicktyler]

Originally Posted by MEGA

ps. 83! Harsh! Pure revenue generation. I bet you and the 100 cars around you have all had the same letter today..

Yeah and the 100 cars around them!! Thanks for the advice, I will opt for the course.

It's a bit frustrating to get done at 'normal motorway speed' just because they want to get more money. It's not as if we don't pay enough tax to be on the road in the first place.

[335iCMJ]

Basically what Mega has said, the course is not a conviction so dont have to declare to the insurer. The law might be changing soon so you have to declare a course which is a pointless exercise as the courses are designed to give people education and not prosecution, something the insurance companies forget! Admiral increase premiums the same rate for a speed awareness course as they would for a speeding conviction, I'm sure none of the human beings who write these policies ever speed

[nicktyler]

I suppose the insurers will just ask 'have you been on a speed awareness course?' Then you have no choice but to tell them and pay the outrageous hike in premium.

[dxb335d]

Was it a van or Gatso?

You didn't see it at all?

[Kerr]

Originally Posted by nicktyler

I suppose the insurers will just ask 'have you been on a speed awareness course?' Then you have no choice but to tell them and pay the outrageous hike in premium.

This was in the news the other day.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20328860

[nicktyler]

It was a van. It was on a part of the road I know very well and there are no permanent cameras. I know where it was because the time stamp is about 3 mins before I stopped for petrol and also made a phone call which I can see the time dialled.

It must have been in one of the rest bays/hard shoulder and I can only think that I was along side or slowly overtaking another car and the angle mean't I diddn't see it. I was just cruising along minding my own buisness really. A van/piece of a van in the hard shoulder is normally nothing to worry about.

I think that what Mega says is true about the revenue generation. To put a temporary camera van on the three lane part at the top of the A3 and do people for going just over 80 is a bit desperate really but I was speeding so I will have to do the time.

[Desmondo]

I had similar recently, caught doing a heady 35 in a 30 in the arse-end of nowhere. After thinking about it I opted for the course to help with future insurance only to see the news linked to above from a couple of days ago. I'll be pretty pissed off if I get stitched up on insurance trying to do the right thing and going on a course that is supposed to help improve your driving. What's the point? Might as well have just taken the points and fine.

[makkan00]

Originally Posted by nicktyler

Do you have to declare for insurance that you have been on one of the courses? This sees to have caused a split of opinion elsewhere on the net but perhaps one of our resident law enforcers can shed some light on it. If so I bet it would affect your premium the same as points anyway.

Any advice? I'm leaning towards the course if you don't have to disclose and points if you do.

Nick,
Don't tell me it was A13?
Sorry to hear that, but as suggested earlier go for the course.

Originally Posted by Desmondo

I had similar recently, caught doing a heady 35 in a 30 in the arse-end of nowhere. After thinking about it I opted for the course to help with future insurance only to see the news linked to above from a couple of days ago. I'll be pretty pissed off if I get stitched up on insurance trying to do the right thing and going on a course that is supposed to help improve your driving. What's the point? Might as well have just taken the points and fine.

If you go for the course, your license is clean.
Some insurance companies may charges you higher premiums but not all of them.
Also, opting for course helps you to avoid tooting up the points.

[dakhu1]

Course all day long

[acerboo]

they need the money to pay for security for all the terrorists roaming the streets.

[///ajd]

Sorry but being done for 83mph on an empty motorway is a joke.

Was that the actual speed, or after 'allowances'?

Which police force was it? How do they justify such policing?

How to alienate the public......I wonder what the actual cut off speed was that day - anyone over 80mph fair game perhaps?

[zltm089]

To the OP...course of course!...

Didn't know that some insurance companies asks about the course now...fcukin thieving cants...every excuse to increase premium...bunch of c0cksuckers....

and yeah....fined for doing 83mph on a relatively empty motorway....

time to increase the speed limit!....and fcuk those who say this will cause death etc....if you can't handle a car at 80 mph, you don't deserve to be on the road anyways!...

[e92liv]

I may have got caught the other day by a van doing speed checks, cruise was set at 81 sat nav reading 78/79? Is a ticket in the post for me?

[HeavyRightFoot]

If you have done a course, is it documented anywhere? If not then how will an insurance company know you've took one unless you tell them?

[IanS100]

Originally Posted by HeavyRightFoot

If you have done a course, is it documented anywhere? If not then how will an insurance company know you've took one unless you tell them?

They must be documented because you're not allowed to do another for at least 3 years

[nicktyler]

Originally Posted by ///ajd

Sorry but being done for 83mph on an empty motorway is a joke.

Was that the actual speed, or after 'allowances'?

Which police force was it? How do they justify such policing?

How to alienate the public......I wonder what the actual cut off speed was that day - anyone over 80mph fair game perhaps?

I'm not sure what you mean by 'allowances'. The NIP says 83mph so I assume that was the actual speed. I normally have the cruise set at 85 so that is probably what it was. I certainly wasn't the fastest car on the road and just going with the flow.

Sam, It was the A3 so Surry police force. I drive that road a lot and have never seen a camera in that place before but will have to remember next time.

[magic77]

Take the course let me guess it was the A3 just after guildford towards the m25. They seem to be camping there a lot recently friend of mine got done in a E reg MR2 recently

[nicktyler]

That is exactly where it was.