Reply to: "educational course" or 3 points + fine

[SueEllen]

Admiral insurance, for one, ask if you've attended the course. Not sure the legalities of this.

They can ask but there is no proof you have been on one. This was found out as some people have managed to do a couple in 3 years.

[Yorkie62]

...

It was a full day and included going out and doing some actual driving with an instructor. Was a bit of a PITA, but worth it financially. Really, it's the kind of thing everyone should do to keep a licence. It's a bit ridiculous that you pass your test and don't every have to do anything again, despite the highway code and best driving practices being updated all the time.

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If you do a RoSPA Advanced Driver/Rider course/test it is only valid for 3 years (if you get Gold or Silver, Bronze is only valid for a year) so if you want to maintain the qualification and keep your insurance premiums down you have to keep taking a retest.

RoSPA Bike test is far more extensive than the ADM test ( which like your licence is valid forever once you pass. The RoSPA Bike test you are expected ( at Gold) to have achieved the standard required of a Police Motorcyclist - the handbook for the test is the Police Motorcyclist Handbook, and the examiner is either a Police Motorcyclist or possibly the local forces own motorcycle instructor. I think it is the similar for the RoSPA car test.

[psychocandy]

Are you now sure about the legalities of claiming job seekers allowance?

100% sure :-)

[FrontEnder]

Get a quote from a price comparison site for both with and without the points. For me, the insurance for 1 year was more than the fine, so I did the course.

I dinged my car and was offered a course instead of getting a CD1 - driving wihtout due care and attention. The affect on my insurance was massive. Cheapest quote was about 2.5x more than last year and that was with a very high compulsory excess.

It was a full day and included going out and doing some actual driving with an instructor. Was a bit of a PITA, but worth it financially. Really, it's the kind of thing everyone should do to keep a licence. It's a bit ridiculous that you pass your test and don't every have to do anything again, despite the highway code and best driving practices being updated all the time.

Admiral insurance, for one, ask if you've attended the course. Not sure the legalities of this.

If they ask you, it's fraud to give an incorrect answer. But there is no way they can tell currently if you have or not so the chances of them knowing this are slim to none.

You could also refuse to answer the question, don't proceed with the quote and take your business elsewhere.

[Lance]

Why?

half a day of my life is why.


I've done the course twice. And had many points over the years.
If on no points I take the points.
If on 3 points I do the course.
If on 6 points I slow down as that's only one offence away from a totting ban.
Never been on 9 points.
Been on 12 points and that really slowed me down. Being on 12 points was the only time my insurance increased noticeably.

[AtW]

Admiral insurance, for one, ask if you've attended the course. Not sure the legalities of this.

Are you now sure about the legalities of claiming job seekers allowance?

[psychocandy]

Take the course.
I did it about 3 months ago. Boring but I did actually learn something.

Also I was told in the course you DONT have to inform your insurance company about taking the course.

A quick google also confirms this.

Admiral insurance, for one, ask if you've attended the course. Not sure the legalities of this.

[psychocandy]

by far less than either the fine, or half a day's lost work

Did my course on a sunday morning....

Is not the most fun you can have I will say. The people who run it are decent enough but the worse thing is the other people. Theres always one who thinks its his right to have a bit of a moan.

[psychocandy]

if your license is clean then take the 3 points

Why?

[MonkeysUncle]

Take the course.
I did it about 3 months ago. Boring but I did actually learn something.

Also I was told in the course you DONT have to inform your insurance company about taking the course.

A quick google also confirms this.

[Yorkie62]

The one and only speed awareness course I did was taken by my RoSPA Advanced Motorcycling Examiner (5 days after he awarded me a RoSPA Gold) and he was the Essex Police Motorcycle Instructor. A wee bit embarrassing having been out on the road with him the last week and on the ride home following the test (me following him this time) his instructions to me were, any numerical speed limit sign we obey without question, nation speed limit signs - keep it safe. Good spirited ride home that was.

Afterwards you get a written report identifying areas for improvement. MY first one (retest every 3 years), written by the same examiner, states. "...should try to ride faster." I kept that report to use in my defence should I every need it.

[vwdan]

You may aswell do the course - as above, while 3 points alone is fairly minor you've already been caught once so why even let them start?

I will say, though, I went in with a relatively open mind but even so it was ******* dull. If you've taken a serious interest in driving, or done any advanced courses etc you're unlikely to learn huge amounts. I'm not saying I didn't learn anything, but half a days pay plus the fee plus that time out of my life wasn't really worth it for what I did! That said, the amount of people on the course who really didn't understand things like National Speed Limit was a bit scary, so in that sense I'm all for them.

[GJABS]

I presume OP has ruled out the Belmarsh option? (saying Vladamir was driving, getting rumbled by the old bill, followed by a Perverting the course of justice conviction a la MP style).

[PhiltheGreek]

Mrs V has had a few much to her discomfort at my hands

But what about her driving record?

[MrButton]

In the course you may learn something so it doesn’t happen again?

Also get some kind of camera warnings setup.