driver awareness course dilemma

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chrisw99
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Post by chrisw99 »

After driving clean for 30 years, I have just found myself getting two speeding offences in the space of a week. One in Yorkshire, the other in Dorset.

Can go on a speed awareness course for Yorkshire instead of getting 3pts, and was assuming I'd have to take the 3pts for Dorset.

However, it turns out Dorset is not part of the national scheme like every other county. I can still do the Dorset Driver Awareness and get off them giving me 3pts as well, as long as I haven't done another Dorset course in the last 3 years.

BUt of course due to them being standalone, it means I can only do the course in Dorset (9am or 1pm Mon-Fri). Which is 300 miles away.

So a dilemma now, do I pay £110 course fee + £80 petrol + day off work + probably have to pay for a night in a hotel, just to keep my license clean, or take it on the chin and pay £100 fine and get the 3pts.
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Post by Pandjh »

Or find a friendly Dorset based QQ owner to sit it for you ;)
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chrisw99
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Post by chrisw99 »

Pandjh wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 2:30 pm Or find a friendly Dorset based QQ owner to sit it for you ;)
One that looks like me?

"To gain access to the course, participants MUST bring their photo card Driving licence or an old style licence plus a form of photographic ID."

https://payments.dorset.police.uk/drive ... onditions/
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Qashowner
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Post by Qashowner »

Take the 3 points, likely hood is you may not get caught again. Unfortunately when I received my speeding tickets, there was no option :(
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MikeGC
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Post by MikeGC »

chrisw99 wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 2:26 pm So a dilemma now, do I pay £110 course fee + £80 petrol + day off work + probably have to pay for a night in a hotel, just to keep my license clean, or take it on the chin and pay £100 fine and get the 3pts.
Don’t forget that the 3 points will add £££ to your insurance premiums (I think)
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Gel
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Post by Gel »

...and many insurers require notification of attendance at such courses :o, which
presumably negatively affects premiums .
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chrisw99
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Post by chrisw99 »

MikeGC wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 2:58 pm
chrisw99 wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 2:26 pm So a dilemma now, do I pay £110 course fee + £80 petrol + day off work + probably have to pay for a night in a hotel, just to keep my license clean, or take it on the chin and pay £100 fine and get the 3pts.
Don’t forget that the 3 points will add £££ to your insurance premiums (I think)
Think that depends on the code, it was 36 in a 30 zone so an SP30 - don't think that adds anything to premiums. If it was 70 in a 40 zone, it's different.

So it would be costing me £250 ish plus a day off work, just to keep those 3pts off my license (which disappear in 4 years time anyway).
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chrisw99
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Post by chrisw99 »

Gel wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 3:06 pm ...and many insurers require notification of attendance at such courses :o, which
presumably negatively affects premiums .
Just checked my motor insurance policy and it says...

The principal policyholder must take reasonable care to provide complete and accurate answers to the
questions we ask when you take out, make changes to, and renew your policy.
Please tell us immediately if there are any changes to the information set out in the application,
‘Information Provided By You’ document, certificate of motor insurance or on your schedule. You must
also tell us immediately about the following changes:
A change to the persons insured, or to be insured.
Motoring convictions (driving licence endorsements, fixed penalties or pending prosecutions for any
motoring offences) for any of the persons insured, or to be insured.
Criminal convictions for any of the persons insured, or to be insured.

Nothing about attending a course. Some providers do, but not mine currently.

But I would have to tell them if I'd got the 3pts on my license. The more I think about it, keeping the license clean seems more logical even if it does cost me £150 for a nice day out to Dorset.
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rod9669
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Post by rod9669 »

chrisw99 wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 3:16 pm
Gel wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 3:06 pm ...and many insurers require notification of attendance at such courses :o, which
presumably negatively affects premiums .
Just checked my motor insurance policy and it says...

The principal policyholder must take reasonable care to provide complete and accurate answers to the
questions we ask when you take out, make changes to, and renew your policy.
Please tell us immediately if there are any changes to the information set out in the application,
‘Information Provided By You’ document, certificate of motor insurance or on your schedule. You must
also tell us immediately about the following changes:
A change to the persons insured, or to be insured.
Motoring convictions (driving licence endorsements, fixed penalties or pending prosecutions for any
motoring offences) for any of the persons insured, or to be insured.
Criminal convictions for any of the persons insured, or to be insured.

Nothing about attending a course. Some providers do, but not mine currently.

But I would have to tell them if I'd got the 3pts on my license. The more I think about it, keeping the license clean seems more logical even if it does cost me £150 for a nice day out to Dorset.
see if you can get one on a Friday or Monday, make a long weekend of it. Take your (or someone else's) wife. Job done :D
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PJB729
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Post by PJB729 »

If you get caught again you may regret not taking the opportunity to keep the points off your license
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