Safe Speed Forums

Fair play to 'em then! (Though I imagine it won't be long before they are told to swallow that heresy by the SCPs and spout the "safe drivers save fuel" mantra)!

I use 3rd in town, the car is much more responsive.

I did specifically state [quote=SafeSpeedv2]If I had attended and felt free to debate fully I would have ...[/quote]
In other words, if I had attended it would have been nice to engage in the real issues than the general expectation of 'you bad, we good, you listen, and shutup - you leave and 'behave' which seems to exist.
Generally do people not want to know that they have respect from the person that they are being 'taught' by ?

Do people really have a choice? For many it might be a ban and threat to their livelihood, if they don't go, that is not a choice but a fate-a complie (?sp) !
With many cameras about it can be too easy these days to loos a moments concentration on a real road danger and miss a camera. So 4 'chances' is not very proportionate to the loss of a licence over a speed which is only ever a factor never a cause in any road accident.
So to have to pay a high price to attend education that ought to be available to 'all' is placing the horse at the back of the wrong cart !
There is nothing wrong in education as long as it is aimed correctly and taught well.
What they did was say that we are not going to discuss why or what you did wrong we are just going to make you listen to our doctrine - is that learning ?
For example did they ever say 'always ensure that you can stop on your side of the road, in the distance that you know to be clear' ? Did they explain anything like that ?
Did they point out how any distraction can lead to an accident? Did they discuss how observing road tarmac conditions and early observation of car positioning can help assess what a car maybe going to do - which may help you take avoiding action before they show their error ? (Thus helping to prevent their accident ?)

Did they discuss how speed is a factor in only 6% of excessive speed accidents and pint out how those include all those within the speed limit and those above it too, and includes all illegal drivers ? So the reason that you have been caught speeding may only effect 2 - 3% of accidents anyway ? The fact that many possibly 'chose the course' than take the points is not much about learning but how to give oneself 'an extra chance?
That you can only go on 1 course in three years ? How long before that is 6 months I wonder - too !

Sending people on courses make sit look like 'camera money' is being 'spent wisely' but they make massive profits from your few hours of indoctrination or education. If they are meant to be so goo why are only a few areas offering them ? Why is it not consistent and run by expert Police drivers or top paid experts ?
If an IAM qualified driver runs the course are they paid for it ? How much ?

My point was the 'whole fundamental point' of the 'courses is wrong', and I am sorry that you didn't pick up on that, - perhaps I ought to have made that clear.
Genuine good quality education for motorists I am all for ... as I am sure you are aware.

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Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

I would agree with Clair. Although the course may have contained some useful information for a lot of drivers, its main function was a "Brain Washing" exercise. To me speed limits and COAST do not go hand in hand. COAST relies on analysing actual conditions, speed limits just rely on assumed conditions which most of the time will never actually exist

No. Anything but. It started with the fact that speed cameras exist; that if you get caught exceeding the speed limit you will be in trouble; then this is how to avoid breaking the speed limit. No analysis of why speed cameras are in place.

For an analogy. A self defence course would start with the assumption the muggers exist; if you get mugged you will be sad; here is how to avoid getting mugged. No analysis of the social factors which cause scallies to mug people..

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

Makes you wonder about the social factors which cause the SCPs to mug people

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Only when ideology, prejudice and dogma are set aside does the truth emerge - Kepler

There are number of events that take place in those that attend a course. (To varying degrees) There is the fact that you have been 'caught out' - and you have this opportunity to redeem yourself, by attending this course.
You have already submitted in your-self (not you Dave necessarily - but 'one') to do the course. Most people will like to get something positive out of it aas it costs money and time to attend. So our natural instinct is to try and look positively at the situation so that it is less of a punishment and more of a positive experience.
That has the audience about 50% toward an 'open' and hopeful experience.
By stating at the beginning that they will not discuss the 'crimes' the audience to a degree is relieved, they will not be 'embarrassed in front of others. That helps to 'dis-arm' many of the potential sceptics. We like to fit in so it also helps to collate the group. So they have a group of people who want to get through the day easily.
The scene is set. Now all they need to do is to present a plausible and reasonable sounding 'education' to seem worthwhile and acceptable. Not that some of the sections and 'teaching' cannot be useful ot even valuable, but the slant is you listen we teach. So you buy into the system.
Anyone that might ask my posed point would be seen as the outsider and make everyone feel awkward, as they wish to go through this process / day as well as possible.

For example you state - well what have they actually taught you to ensure absolutely that you will never ever once commit this offence again ? (I am being serious not flippant).
Always glance frequently at your speedo, and learn how 20 - 30 etc 'feels' so that you can accurately forever be perfect?
Have they taught you how to look for speedvans and police accurately and so never get caught again, learning how to slow every time your view is impaired?
Or have they drummed into you throughout the few hours, that you mustn't speed, without any real ways of how to prevent doing so?
Upon reflecting what and how they taught you, can you now see what you did 'wrong' when you commit your 'crime', and can now see how you will now fall foul of that trap again and any other failure to stick to the limit precisely? Do you now think that what you did was terribly dangerous or do you think that your driving was safe and OK or that you were wrong and driving dangerously - or just being like all the other drivers - generally driving safely?
Having been on both a self defence course after a stabbing on the college campus that I attended and also been on a (drivers) mobile security course, that is not what either started with it is about not looking vulnerable. (I can talk a lot about it! - in another thread one day).
If you are mugged you will be scared and feel vulnerable and potentially requiring medical attention (physical and mental) not sad. Actually they do discuss the types of people that may try, and how to watch out for the ways in which we (as victims) may present opportunities and thus how to avoid them. Then what to do if you find that you are in a vulnerable position and how to asap get out of it or defend yourself if you are presented with real danger.
it was all about not making yourself a victim and how to act and knowledge to get out of dangerous situations as well as not getting into them, so yes it does cover the how's why's and wherefores.

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Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

This has dragged-on hasn't it ?
If I want to know more about road safety, I'll take an appropriate course.
If I get clobbered speeding I WILL NOT take a "speed awareness" course, AKA Road Safety Course.
I'll take the fine and points, at least my dosh will not increase the coffers of the cozzers (no licence points at the moment, and 3 points for 33 in a 30 limit isn't going to cost me any insurance increase)

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

Lets look at some facts - as the SCP empire expanded, more ways to syphon funds off were invented ( in the data sheets stored somewhere on here, compiled in excell format by members) .
The last Government removed the ability to hive off( possibly as funds dried up ,or possibly the then GOVERNMENT considered that they had sole rights to mug the motorist).
Then we saw the rise of speed awareness courses, limited initially to infringements.
( Now my prediction,based on the past record)
Strange that they've now been introduced for other limit offences. How long before we see them introduced ( possibly in various stages of fee for additional offences),with only the last resort being a court appearance .

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Which means the funds from the awareness courses go locally, and not to the gov.....I cannot see that arrangement lasting long.

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing