Speed Awareness (1 Viewer)

rainbow chasers

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There was a recent post regarding insurers and speed awareness courses recently, whereby insurers were demanding to know/potentially penalising those that had been on one.

Other half attended one yesterday (60 in 60/class) and the subject was brought up with some having similar experiences with insurers.

The instructor stated:

a) It is not a conviction/offence as by attending the course, the slate is wiped clean.

b) Insurers cannot penalise those that have attended a course - they have been told, though they may try in some other guise.

c) You have no obligation to inform insurers of the offence or the course, as in a), it has been wiped clean - no offfence has been committed once the course is complete.

d) They cannot raise premiums for those that have attended the course. Normal practice for insurers that HAVE been voluntarily informed by the driver is to hold a note on their file. How they use this information is unknown.

So hopefully that has answered some questions raised previously. Interestingly it is not known what the insurers do with a note of the offence that they hold on file. You could argue that it MAY affect NEXT years policy - whereby it can be hidden as costs of insurance rather than a penalty, I suppose it could also influence a decision in the event of an accident, even if not your direct fault - the possibility is there.

But to recap - you do not need to inform your insurers - you do not need to add the 'offence' to next years declaration. You effectively have a clean slate, it never happened.:thumb:
 

pappajohn

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points A and C, just as i stated in the other thread.

the only organisation who can access the files are other police forces considering an awareness course instead of a prosecution, so there is no way for insurers to check if you dont tell them.

i will not be informing mine :thumb:
 

Campercaillie

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But to recap - you do not need to inform your insurers - you do not need to add the 'offence' to next years declaration. You effectively have a clean slate, it never happened.:thumb:

I would imagine that this applies with most insurance companies, but there is at least one (Admiral) who actually list Speed Awareness Courses in their list of 'convictions' to be declared - coded as 'SAC.' In light of that I would suggest it is best to read the small print, in the event that others may start doing the same.

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johnp10

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points A and C, just as i stated in the other thread.

the only organisation who can access the files are other police forces considering an awareness course instead of a prosecution, so there is no way for insurers to check if you dont tell them.

i will not be informing mine :thumb:

Nor me.
The information is kept electronically, so cant be accessed by all and sundry.

What will we be disclosing next?
Offences "spent" under the rehabilitation of offenders legislation?

Campercaillie,
Attendance at a speed awareness course doesn't need to follow an "alleged" offence.
Anyone can book in for one at any time.
Insurance companies requiring course info doesn't stand up.
No offence has been committed.
 
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Aug 27, 2009
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Complete coincidence I know but just reading your useful post when who should come on the news but Chris Huhnes ex-wife, Vicky Pryce who has lost her title.:winky:
 

pappajohn

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Technically an offence was committed John, just never recorded.

when you take the option of a course, or pay the fine, you are admitting an offence.
if you opt for a court hearing you are denying an offence.....but the judge is gonna find you guilty and hammer you even more.

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pappajohn

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I would imagine that this applies with most insurance companies, but there is at least one (Admiral) who actually list Speed Awareness Courses in their list of 'convictions' to be declared - coded as 'SAC.' In light of that I would suggest it is best to read the small print, in the event that others may start doing the same.

and if you dont declare it they have no way of checking.
 

pappajohn

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If it's not pursued, surely it's "alleged"?
To be deemed an offence, I would have thought a conviction was needed.

all offences are alleged until you admit guilt...and you cant opt for a course, or a fine, until you admit guilt by returning the 'I was the driver' form.

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personally i find the option to take the speed awareness course ridiculous the offence has been committed but if you pay waste a morning of your life we will forget all about it ,used to be called bribery and corruption
still if its making money im sure the scheme will be rolled out to include breaking and entering risk assesment courses or rape and the risk of std awareness
 

Campercaillie

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.....Insurance companies requiring course info doesn't stand up.
No offence has been committed....


For those attending speed awareness courses (as we know them) an offence HAS been committed, though there is no conviction as such.
As for not declaring them when required to do so - that's up to the individual, and if he or she feels that the dishonesty is worth the risk.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20328860
 
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personally i find the option to take the speed awareness course ridiculous the offence has been committed but if you pay waste a morning of your life we will forget all about it ,used to be called bribery and corruption
still if its making money im sure the scheme will be rolled out to include breaking and entering risk assesment courses or rape and the risk of std awareness

Sorry, don't agree, I attended a course about 3 weeks ago full of the same negativity that you are displaying here, in actual fact I found some of the content of the course particularly in relation to stopping distances quite enlightening :thumb:

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Jun 17, 2012
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points A and C, just as i stated in the other thread.

the only organisation who can access the files are other police forces considering an awareness course instead of a prosecution, so there is no way for insurers to check if you dont tell them.

[HI]i will not be informing mine [/HI]:thumb:


You just have ??:Eeek:
 
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rainbow chasers

rainbow chasers

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Sorry, don't agree, I attended a course about 3 weeks ago full of the same negativity that you are displaying here, in actual fact I found some of the content of the course particularly in relation to stopping distances quite enlightening :thumb:


I agree - the course will be useful for some. In this particular case, the other half who is a very good driver, even stated there was a few things she was surprised she had forgotton over the years.

Interestingly, on her course - she was the youngest there at 40. Most of them were over 60, and one was around 80.

Their first test was to draw a give way sign - most of them drew it upside-down!

One thing they were taught - and I wish they wouldn't do it - was that it is a maximum speed and they can drive whatever speed under it. This is incorrect, as if you are 50% below (without good reason) you will get done for speeding. There was actually an ex TT rider there who had done just that! Under the speed limit (he said he spent all his life racing, now likes to chill out! lol!)

So I think the course is useful - if insurers such as Admiral want to penalise you for attending the course.....take that as a warning, and don't use them! After all, if you think about it - if they are trying to find any reason to up your policy, then they will find any reason NOT to pay out.

Vote with your feet!:thumb:
 
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One thing that stuck in my mind and helped by the way it was presented was a diagram of stopping distances, we can all look at bar graphs in the Highway Code and quote distances at different speeds, but the example shown to me was a bus parked at the side of a road, a car approaching at 30 mph, someone steps out from the front of the bus, the bus length is 30 ft (9 mrs), the THINKING distance at 30 mph is 30 ft, the pedestrian is hit before the driver can even touch his brakes, we can all be accused of thinking modern brakes stop better than brakes when stopping distances were introduced, maybe, but the thinking distances haven't.:Eeek:

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yorkshirepudding

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There was a recent post regarding insurers and speed awareness courses recently, whereby insurers were demanding to know/potentially penalising those that had been on one.

Other half attended one yesterday (60 in 60/class) and the subject was brought up with some having similar experiences with insurers.

The instructor stated:

a) It is not a conviction/offence as by attending the course, the slate is wiped clean.

b) Insurers cannot penalise those that have attended a course - they have been told, though they may try in some other guise.

c) You have no obligation to inform insurers of the offence or the course, as in a), it has been wiped clean - no offfence has been committed once the course is complete.

d) They cannot raise premiums for those that have attended the course. Normal practice for insurers that HAVE been voluntarily informed by the driver is to hold a note on their file. How they use this information is unknown.

So hopefully that has answered some questions raised previously. Interestingly it is not known what the insurers do with a note of the offence that they hold on file. You could argue that it MAY affect NEXT years policy - whereby it can be hidden as costs of insurance rather than a penalty, I suppose it could also influence a decision in the event of an accident, even if not your direct fault - the possibility is there.

But to recap - you do not need to inform your insurers - you do not need to add the 'offence' to next years declaration. You effectively have a clean slate, it never happened.:thumb:

I would venture to suggest that insurers are free to lay down their terms of business and if you accept those terms you must provide the information they require.

As to the offence being expunged, a drink drive offence may have expired but insurance companies continue to charge a higher premium after this time. They have been encouraged to do so by safety campaigners and government pundits.
Fundamentally the same principal applies. I chose to inform my insurance company and took the fine and the points. My premium stayed the same.

There is an old saying: If you can't do the time, don't go the crime. We know when we are speeding and if we don't we are guilty of a greater offence.
 
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pappajohn

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I would venture to suggest that insurers are free to lay down their terms of business and if you accept those terms you must provide the information they require.

As to the offence being expunged, a drink drive offence may have expired but insurance companies continue to charge a higher premium after this time. They have been encouraged to do so by safety campaigners and government pundits.
Fundamentally the same principal applies. I chose to inform my insurance company and took the fine and the points. My premium stayed the same.

There is an old saying: If you can't do the time, don't go the crime. We know when we are speeding and if we don't we are guilty of a greater offence.

in that situation an offence was committed and a prosecution obtained and recorded by police/DVLA.

in this case there was/is no prosecution...the prosecution was null and void on completion of a course....no prosecution, no police/DVLA record.

point 2.
if you commit a second speeding offence before the current one expires will your insurers look on you with the same light....i doubt it very much....they will see you as a higher risk as you dont appear, in their eyes, to regard speeding as a serious offence

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vwalan

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you could make a big fuss of it and win a case of wrong signage or street name wrong . i know someone that did . hee hee . then 2 yrs later went on an awareness course . thats the way . now have a certificate to say i went on the course .ha ha .
 

yorkshirepudding

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point 2.
if you commit a second speeding offence before the current one expires will your insurers look on you with the same light....i doubt it very much....they will see you as a higher risk as you dont appear, in their eyes, to regard speeding as a serious offence

nah, I'll not be doing that will I ?:roflmto:
 

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