Driver Awareness Courses

[Steve]

Has anyone been on the driving awareness course? Was the driving awareness course beneficial or a waste of time?

[Lady Pasha]

I went on the course a year ago. It was quite interesting, but I didn't learn anything new. Some of the videos they showed scared me and I am more aware of the cameras now in my area ! ;)

[Smith]

I want on one last year.. it sucked. but i learnt a few things though.

I am more cautious

[Lady Pasha]

yep, went last year! It was okay, I learnt a few things, some of the videos were a bit drastic but made me think.

[Taz]

I went on one for allegedly being on the wrong side of a solid line for at least 10 metres on the motorbike. No way. Plod was way behind, and I saw him in my mirrors as I was overtaking a row of cars, so I'm hardly likely to commit an offence with them behind me am I! I know that road like the back of my hand, and being on 2 wheels, I wouldn't cross a solid white unless it was safe to do so and legal e.g. overtaking a very slow moving vehicle - we get lots of old tractors and steam engines around here for the shows. Plod showed me the video recording in the car, which certainly didn't show me crossing any solid white line, but the driver said they both saw me do it even if the video didn't capture it. Yeah right! Nothing was captured because there was no offence.

 

Anyway, a course it was, and I did find it both boring and informative, and I lost half a day pay for the privilege. Yes I learned something, and I also learned that they stay on your record for 3 years, and there are 5 different courses for various offences. You can take all of the 5 courses if you get nicked for an offence in each category, and you could even commit the offences in the same year - you can still attend up to 5 different courses.

I do think they help to focus the mind, but very frustrating when an offence didn't get committed in the first place, but I really couldn't be bothered fighting a legal battle when there was double plod determined to make me a statistic by attending a naughty boy course. Done, and I'm clean - until the next time I get caught doing nothing wrong

[Trevor]

That's harsh Taz ....I would have contested that in court as it can't be proved by the police officers in question.
My understanding (advanced motorcycle qualified) is that you can safely and legally ride over the double solid white lines on a motorbike if safe to do so and also if the traffic is at a standstill and at a sensible crawling speed.