3 Penalty Points v Speed Awareness Course?

[Mark71]

Hi all,

 

Need some advise and views of what I should do.

 

About two weeks ago I received a speeding ticket via post for doing 37mph on an 30mph dual carriage way.

 

In the letter it stated I have two options.

 

1. to except the fine and get 3 points

or

2. Pay the fine and also Pay and attend a speed awareness course.

 

To me the second option sounds great as I won't receive the 3 endorsment points (although I will be out of pocket!). But if I accept to do the Speed Awareness Course it states the "Your details will not be released to any other parties except any other police forces if they are considering making an offer of a course in the future"

 

Don't want to go on for too long, but does anyone think that if I completed the course I will be more targeted by police for speeding as there is a record saying I have completed a speed awareness course.

 

If I accepted the three points, I just feel I may not be such a target for doing 35 in an 30 zone!

 

Sorry for sounding paraniod!

 

Let me know what you all think.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Mark

[lamma]

You won't be targeted more. save the points, take the SAC. Insurance companies have started asking about them now so if yours does and loads your next premium just change companies to one that doesn't.

[pompeyfaith]

I took this course in April last year, and I must say it is an eye opener and I'm glad I did take it.

 

I did not pay any fine or get any points I just paid the £75 to the company running the course.

 

The Fine would have been £60 so for the cost of £15 I have kept my licence clean and learnt something too.

 

I have never been targeted by the police since taking this course.

 

PF

[Ell-enn]

I took the course in February this year and as Pompeyfaith says, it was an eye opener. Mine cost £65.

[crem]

I was under the impression that the Speed Awareness Course was instead of the points AND the fine?

 

MArk71 is suggesting he has to pay the fine and also pay for the course. Is he mistaken or are some areas changing the rules on this?

 

IMO the reason they share your details with other forces is to ensure you are only offered, and receive, the SAC once. The only way they can do this is by sharing a common list of people who have already been on the course. Next time it's an FPN and no alternative.

[Ell-enn]

That's right. The course is instead of the point and fine, you don't pay both.

[Bernie_the_Bolt]

I suspect Mark71 has not made a distinction between paying the fine and paying for the course. It's all cash!

[crem]

I suspect Mark71 has not made a distinction between paying the fine and paying for the course. It's all cash!

 

Yes he has BTB. See his point 2. Although I think most people think he is mistaken.

 

2. Pay the fine and also Pay and attend a speed awareness course.

[pompeyfaith]

the whole point is to try and re-educate people so if they fined and charged you for the course the uptake would be low because ppl would just pay the fine

 

Hence why their is no fine if you take the course as it makes it worthwhile

[Mark71]

I would like to say, thanks you for all your replies!

 

Its been interested reading, and I suppose I was being a little paranoid!!

 

I will do the course and hope that its as much fun as some of you have made it out to be!!

 

Thanks again for your feed back.

 

Mark

[Snefclarb]

May I ask what about the SAC is an eye opener? What aspect of it?

[fenmum]

Hi there this is an old thread but I have recent experience of SAC so thought I would post. Course I attended was frankly a useless waste of an opportunity and of 4 hours. Of 30 people attending 20 had been caught in a 30 mph zone and only 1 was in 70 mph zone. Apparently you will be offered SAC if you do less than 10% plus 6 miles over limit. Majority of people were retired. Much of the course was a naive/ oversimplified and biased interpretation of accident statistics (eg majority of collisions were in urban areas but majority of deaths were in rural areas - the fact that rural speed limit of 60mph might be a contributing factor was not mentioned -did discuss poor rural road surfaces, lack of mobile phone cover and distance from hospitals as contibuting factors but what does that have to do with speed?) I asked how to address the problem that if you drive below the limit you will be pushed by aggressive drivers behind you to drive to the limit and was told to ignore them. And what use is all the info about transit van speed limits; 4 wheel drive braking capacity; ESP and ABS pros and cons? Overall it seemed to be teaching drivers how to drive faster within the law rather than how to drive at an appropriate speed.