Speeding and speed awareness courses.

[Polarbear]

I was chatting to someone today who got done for 36 in a 30 and opted for a speed awareness course instead of prosecution. He said his insurance premium went up on renewal when they asked him if he had had any prosecutions or speeding awareness courses which he admitted to.

After having a nose around the net i have a question for you all. If you were done for speeding and took a driver awareness course instead of the points. When it came to insurance renewal, would you declare it, bearing in mind

The speed awareness course is a popular choice. Figures from the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme show that in 2014 alone, nearly 1.2 million drivers completed the course. But while taking it means that police do not record your speeding offence as a conviction, few motorists realise that going on a speeding course can still push up your car insurance premiums

and

Unlike penalty points, insurance firms cannot check whether a driver has taken a speed awareness course unless they admit to it, as this information is held by local police forces rather than the DVLA. However, if you fail to reveal that you have and later make a claim, you could find that your policy is invalid.

So, is it worth the risk of non declaration? Personally I think if you haven't actually been prosecuted and admitted or been convicted of the offense, they are asking for something they don't have a right to ask for but I'm sure they can make their own rules up as they go along.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[The Wobbly Orange]

Just look for insurers that don't even ask that question.
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People tell me I am lovely. How wrong they are!

[Rogerborg]

Under the current system, there's no chance I'd declare it. Dibble has a vested interest in not disclosing the info, as if they did then the kickbacks would dry up.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[iooi]

[DrSnoosnoo]

[MCN]

Speeding Scotland.com want £100 for the certificate of speed and speed awareness school was usually pitched at a bit more. The whole incentive, from a speed freak's point of view, is to avoid collecting the certificate of speed and therefore save the Insurancers (and their Brokers) profiting from an immoral double jeopardy arrangement year after year.

My personal bone with our current system is points hit every insurance policy so if I have more than one vehicle the loading is applied to all policies. If I only had one vehicle then I pay once.
I agree this may be a sort of means test but I can only drive one vehicle at any one time.

Our Police State don't offer speed awareness. Obviously the bribes aren't high enough to temp them yet.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[M.C]

I only did the course to avoid an increase in premium, if they start penalising people then only those at risk of a ban will do the speed awareness course.

And no I won't be declaring I've done a speed awareness course, just like I don't record my unofficial crashes (everyone has the occasional oopsy right? ).

[janner_10]

Had no qualms about not disclosing mine, despite the question being asked. They cannot check anyway, unless I tell them.

Its a bit like the TV license farce.
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Yamaha FZS600 (Now gone to heaven) > CBR600F4i (SOLD) > '99 YZF-R1

[ScaredyCat]

[Ste]

[Tracey Suntan-King]

I've done two speed awareness courses so I'm not sure they work

However, I've never declared either of them but can't recall being asked.

I think admitting something is not the same as being convicted, so my conscience is clear*

* oh, just remembered, I don't have a conscience
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Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're probably right

[Suntan Sid]

Surely, if insurance companies are loading your premium because you've been on a course, of one type or another, it must mean the "courses" aren't doing what they claim to do, ie. improve your riding/driving, which renders the whole "industry" not fit for purpose!

As to whether you should declare a "course", it raises a dilemma.
The shysters who run the courses say they don't release your details to the insurers. So, how would the insurer know?
The shysters can hardly admit to passing your details across, doing so would destroy their industry overnight, the only reason you take the course is to avoid the points and the consequent premium hike. Once that option's gone, the only reason you'd take the course is to avoid a totting up ban!
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"Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!"

[Doovy]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

On the speed awareness course I took last year I was informed that the police don't share the attendance with anyone other than other police forces, so they can decide whether to offer you another or not when you next get tugged.

Since (currently) the insurance companies have no way of knowing if you've attended one, why would you tell them?
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Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[orac]

the instructor at my last one actually told that we do not have to declare and that he recommends that we do not declare it insurance companies. The bloke was ex bike cop, bit of twit but what you gonna do
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Current rides - 2016 Triumph Street Triple Rx, 1994 Suzuki Bandit 400 VM, TGB 204 Classic 125cc
"with nothing left to lose, there is everything to gain. It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog"

[Raffles]

[arry]

[M.C]

[Diggs]

On the course I went on, only motorcyclists and truckers knew most of the answers, and on the hazard perception part only motorcyclists spotted most of the hazards. The worst drivers in terms of knowing nowt were (sweeping generalisation but true in this instance) middle-aged women who don't do many miles. Some didn't know what the speed limit is on a dual carriageway, and one old dear (bless!) thought the limit on a motorway is 60, which explains a lot....
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Now - Speed Triple, old ratty GS550, GSXR750M
Gone (in order of ownership) - Raleigh Runabout, AP50, KH125, GP125, KH250, CBX550, Z400, CB750FII, 250LC, GS550, ZXR750H1, Guzzi Targa, GSX750F, KH250 x2, Bimota SB6R and counting...

[M.C]

[Rogerborg]

What if all motoring convictions or admissions of guilt resulted in a basic re-test?

60 is the limit on a motorway? Get off the road.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Polarbear]

[andyscooter]

course I went on showed us two bits of road

one twisty and going down hill and a bit gravelly

and one fairly straight with nice tarmac and streetlights etc and asked which was the most dangerous

everyone went for the twisty one as you can fall off on gravel and had bends

me and a bloke who we are not sure how he ended up on the course as it was a bike one and he had been caught using a phone in his car both said the other one

we were right in theory as there had been 0 deaths on the twisty one but three on the one with the tarmac and it now has a camera on it

but the instructor bloke also said there is no such thing as a dangerous road just dangerous people so he lost points for that
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[iooi]

[andyscooter]