Speed Awareness Course, Bristol

[jkh112]

Has anybody here recently been on a SAC in Bristol?

Any tips or feedback?

[scorcher]

Sit down ,shut up, look interested, agree with everything that's said, accept speeding is the worst crime in the world ever, go home and forget about it.

[ewenm]

I did one in Bristol after being caught in what I thought was a 40 limit but was actually a 30 limit (my fault, poor observation).

It's fine, acts as a reminder of lots of bits of the highway code and the people running the course were not particularly patronising or preachy (that may be luck of the draw though). It was somewhat scary just how uninterested in improving their driving many of the other course participants were though.

[TonyS3]

scorcher said:

Sit down ,shut up, look interested, agree with everything that's said, accept speeding is the worst crime in the world ever, go home and forget about it.

Absolutely spot on Scorcher!
I was tempted to query stopping distances ( I think they're from a forties rod brake car, Ford Pop or some such) but bit my tongue and nodded at the appropriate times....
......best bit was at the end, slides of road scenes for observational awareness eg street lighting = 30mph unless otherwise signposted.

TonyS

[jkh112]

Thanks. Where in Bristol are the courses held?

[Wings]

ewenm said:

I did one in Bristol after being caught in what I thought was a 40 limit but was actually a 30 limit (my fault, poor observation).

It's fine, acts as a reminder of lots of bits of the highway code and the people running the course were not particularly patronising or preachy (that may be luck of the draw though). It was somewhat scary just how uninterested in improving their driving many of the other course participants were though.

^^^^absolutely agree, I attended one two years ago at the Holiday Inn, Hambrook. I found the experience thoroughly beneficial, now drive with more due care, and pay more attention to speed limits, particularly when members of my family accompany me on journeys.

[Keep it stiff]

My wife did one last Saturday. She was given a choice of venues and dates, the booking process was being planned about 4 - 6 weeks ahead. She attended at a hotel near Chipping Sodbury, it started at 0900 and finished at 1300. The course was run by a couple of ex-coppers. This was down to one of the gantry cameras at the M4/M5, 59 when it was set at 50. An expensive bit of Xmas shopping!

[jkh112]

4 to 6 weeks ahead sounds like enough notice to be able to fit it around work as it would take me beyond the financial year end.
Some of the feedback on here is surprisingly positive, maybe it won't be as much of a waste of time as I feared.

[agent006]

It's a much of a waste of time as you make it. If you go in expecting them to be patronising tts and determined to be the rebel then you won't learn anything. Go into it with an open mind and knowing you're not a perfect driver then you may well learn a lot. Even if the "a lot" you learn is just how to avoid being caught again.

[blueg33]

Useful advice here. Mrs Blue goes on a course next month. Her venue is Cheltenham fire station. I am sure she chose that one with an ulterior motive in mind.

[swindorski]

I went on one late last year determined that it would be a waste of my time, I knew everything they were going to tell me and nothing I was going to see or hear would make the slightest bit of difference to how I had been driving for the last 20 years or so.

At the end of the course I went to the two instructors, told them that was how I went in to the room, and apologised for having had such arrogant thoughts.

I didn't learn anything new but it brought it all to the fore of my mind.

I drove home within the speed limits.

[mep12345]

agent006 said:

If you go in expecting them to be patronising tts and determined to be the rebel then you won't learn anything.

If you do this as a bloke I work with did they can remove the option for the SAC and ask you to leave. If this happens they then give you the three points so you'll have paid for the course, been fined and still got three points. Playing the game is important and (clearly personality dependant) the courses are generally very good

It was in Dorset the above happened

[sebhaque]

One of my old housemates (this was only 4/5 years ago) did a SAC after being caught on his bike, his course involved a 20-minute bout of go-karting. It was a late course though, think it was 1800-2300 but I was rather surprised at the go-karting notion. This was arguably when SACs were first being rolled out and the idea was to show bikers where to get their thrills, but it was still interesting to hear.

I realise this has made no contribution whatsoever to the topic but, hey, it's an anecdote.

[jkh112]

I will look out for the karting option when I book my SAC.

[Yertis]

I actually quite enjoyed mine (at Puxton Park). The only trouble makers were older people who wanted to take issue with why they were there in the first place. Plus the obligatory tt who thinks he knows all the answers and the chap who thought he was the clown. Favourite moment was the well-spoken old Merc SL driving guy, who, when asked how he would approach a hump-back bridge, replied "why, put on more speed, to get airborne you understand."

[ChrisFitz]

jkh112 said:

Has anybody here recently been on a SAC in Bristol?

Any tips or feedback?

Yep, do a Chris Huhne but don't get divorced....

[GloverMart]

jkh112 said:

Thanks. Where in Bristol are the courses held?

I did one in 2012 and it was at the Hanover International Centre, just outside Keynsham.

Echo what everyone else says, just keep your head down and accept it. Four hours of your life goes out the window but it's really not too bad.

[jkh112]

Thought I would update the thread now that I have completed the SAC.
I chose to take it at the Future Inn near Cabot Circus in Bristol.
There were two trainers leading the course, one is an ex-policeman.
The course content was quite interesting and the 4 hours did not drag too much.
The main lesson I took away from the day was just how stupid the majority of others drivers are, assuming the attendees are a representative cross section. Saying they are stupid may not be fair, they may just be uninformed, but either way I am still astounded at how little most of them knew about speed limits, road signs and the meaning of road markings.

[JontyR]

jkh112 said:

Thought I would update the thread now that I have completed the SAC.
I chose to take it at the Future Inn near Cabot Circus in Bristol.
There were two trainers leading the course, one is an ex-policeman.
The course content was quite interesting and the 4 hours did not drag too much.
The main lesson I took away from the day was just how stupid the majority of others drivers are, assuming the attendees are a representative cross section. Saying they are stupid may not be fair, they may just be uninformed, but either way I am still astounded at how little most of them knew about speed limits, road signs and the meaning of road markings.

No Saying they are stupid is totally fair!

From both myself and my wife having done the courses a year apart, we both left feeling that there are some very dangerous people out on the road that know very little! This is either general highway code, or general perception about what is going on around them.