Drive Tech Speed Awareness program

You probably remember me talking about when i got done for speeding before i went on my hols to goa.
well i went on the drive tech course today lasting 3 hours.
I couldnt believe there was 16 of us and they were really nice people, not your typical speeders and learnt today the police only pick out people for this course that had done under 38 mph given us the chance to keep our points, anyone over that they get fined and 3 points taken off their licence.
It was more talking and we had a pc each and did a questionare and a car awareness of what speed we thought we had done, I came out average.
The thing that really hit home with doing over 30 you can actually kill someone at this small speed.
one part of our country northumbria i learnt that there is only 49 cameras and believe this there is only 12 working but you can still get caught playing russion roulette as they switch them over.
Apparently the police or government dont make money from this as it goes back into the speed awareness programme and speed cameras which cost 32 thousand pounds each.
it was very interesting and i certainly will be watching my speed in communities apparently were there is street lights you can be gauranteed it will be a 30 mph limit.

 

I never speed in 30's much to the annoyance of people beind me, even funnier in a car that gets to 60 in 4.8 seconds ! Most speeders are just normal people, not boy racers at all. I think there should be more cameras in residential areas but leave the motorways alone as 70 really is slow !

Glad it went ok Rosa, so does this mean you avoid points and a fine. Sounds like a good idea to me

 

Bm I quite agree with you, yes wish they would leave motorways, they are more bothered about residential built up areas, these speed cameras were only put in places were deaths have occured.
You avoid the points on your licence but still have to pay, I payed �£67.
this will make you laugh when i arrived there i couldnt find the place so i parked my car further up the road and stopped a traffic policeman in his car, he didnt have a clue were it was, he studied my map and after a good while pointed me to were he thought it was and as i was leaving another guy arrived to ask for directions, turns out for the same place, the police officer said to this guy follow that rover she is going to drive tech :D I couldnr believe that this traffic police didnt know were it was

 

Hi Rosa,I was only thinking this morning as to whether you had been on the course yet.It has taken ages to come through :rolleyes:

Glad that it is now over for you and out of the way.Not very nice about the �£67 though,but at least you have avoided the points.

I like the bit about the traffic policeman not knowing where the place was.Sounds like the keystone cops...follow that car :D :D

 

hi kandy, I had to make this appointment before i left for goa as long as you arrange to do this course 3 months withing the time scale you are fine.
pleased its all over and i will most certainly be aware of speed zones in the future.
these traffic police are normally used to these areas as thats their patch just off the mororway but not to know were this place is was just unbelievable, when its part of a police program, when i stopped him i honestly thought well this guy is sure to know were the place is. not :D :D

 

Rosa,good job you got there in plenty of time.Wouldn't it have been embarassing if you had gone over the speed limit trying to get there on time :D :D

 

kandy, I left at 11 knowing i had plenty of time to find the place, 2 guys were not so lucky they arrived late and were not allowed in so these guys will have to call the place back and pay the same money again or just let the polce take points off their licences, it states on the forms you have to be there 15 minutes before they start iff your late you will be charged again for another session

 

Your last line proves to me that its all just a money making exercise rosa.
Maybe thats why the place is difficult to find and the coppers pretended not to know where it is.
A bit synical I know, but I dont trust any of them, police or local authorities, further than I could throw them. :D

 

hi pete, well i cant see your reasoning for saying this as it clearly states on the forms about people that cant arrive on time at these courses, I made sure i was there early, so cant understand why people turn up 15 minutes late.It clearly said you had to be there for 12 and it started at 12.15.
I do find it odd, how the policeman didnt know were the place was, mind it was just off the motorway in a new industrial estate next to a newish motel.

 

Hi Rosa, i'm glad it went ok for you. i'm sure you're not a dangerous driver but maybe this did pick up for you the difference between hitting anyone at 20 mph or 30 mph. 40 + is pretty bad. however i have been in both circumstances.
You, at least, picked up the point.
The other thing is the way pedestrians behave. i see lots of parents with their children dodging between cars. I never did it with my child. But don't get me wrong, i am a driver too.
Your thought about the police not knowing where it was is 'thought-provoking'. Remember when the police 'knew' everything? It's not their fault, every employer lets the employee down, & if the employee is no good at their job then 'they' can't sack them.
Glad to know 'we have' you back. take care.
cheers

 

agree with BM, TBH also driving a powerfull truck and as someone with a very heavy foot I find it virtually impossible to do less than 90 on the motorway.

Been pulled before doing 115 on the M4 but got away with it as the police cars calibrated spedo was playing up!

 

Get yourself a cruise control pro, them you will have no excuse.

 

hi borrowers, it certainly has taught me a very valuable lesson on speeds, normally i stick to speed limits but this particular day i was on a road i dont normally use and didnt know how quick to get off it and it doesnt take long to get from 30 to 36, plus the fact there was no speed on this road as it used to be 40.
Pedestrians well they are something else why do they always just walk straight out onto a pedestrian crossing with no warning are us drivers mind readers, I never walk straight out onto the road, its safer to stand at the pavement near the crossing and wait for us drivers to stop.

pro gard its 70 on a motorway doing them speeds will get you into trouble, your basically playing russion roulette :D :D :eek:

 

Pete we have a cruise control feature on our car and Mr Kandy doesn't use it any more becauuse when he used to set it,the car would cruise along at 70 but then he would find the car was catching up with slower vehicles in front of us so he had to keep disengaging it.He found it more trouble than what it was worth :rolleyes:

 

True Kandy, cruise is not something for the UK, I dont think.
We have the inside lane, middle lane and overtaking lane.
The whole thing becomes a joke once you apply a speed limit, In theory, anyone doing 70mph can stay in the overtaking lane as no one should be travelling faster, not true, we are supposed to move to the inside lane.
Its the German autobahn thing of no limit, once you apply a limit, you may aswell apply the US approach, and just drive in whichever lane you fancy.
Then cruise would work.
Our motorways are far too crowded most of the time.