The speed awareness course is something which a motorist may end up taking if they are at any time caught speeding.
Keep reading to learn just what exactly is involved in a speed awareness course, how you arrange to take one and how it can affect your insurance.
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What is the speed awareness course?
The speed awareness course is something which may be offered to a motorist if they have been caught committing a speeding offence. The course is offered in place of receiving penalty points on your driving licence and is usually only offered if it is a lower level speeding offence (roughly 5-10mph over the speed limit applied to the road where the offence took place).
The course is an educational presentation - a workshop that takes place in a classroom-like setting which can involve over 20 motorists in one room.
What happens on a speed awareness course?
The main point of the speed awareness course is to re-educate attendees of the effects of speeding and certain aspects of the highway code.
It’s designed to encourage participation and interaction so that attendees are not merely left sitting around watching a presentation. What exactly the trainers will choose to put emphasis can vary and will likely depend on the background and circumstances of the motorists in attendance.
No one from the police will be present at the course and no sort of test needs be taken at any point.
If you complete the workshop to the trainer’s satisfaction, you’ll pass the course and be free to leave at the end.
How much is a speed awareness course?
Booking a speed awareness course is likely to cost somewhere between £85 and £100.
Ultimately then you’re paying around about the same as you would if you were given (or chose) the minimum fine for speeding (which is £100). Many prefer to pay for the speed awareness course though, since there are no penalty points on your licence included with this, unlike with the fine.
How long does a speed awareness course last?
There is no strict time limit for how long a driver awareness course must last.
On average, a speed awareness course takes around four hours to complete.
How many times can you take a speed awareness course?
When a motorist completes a driving awareness course, from that moment on they will not be able to take one again for three years.
If a driver is convicted of speeding less than three years after taking an awareness course, they will have no choice but to take on the penalty points and fine attached with the offence.
How to apply for speed awareness course
If you are eligible to attend a speed awareness course, you’ll be notified by the police. When you are given the go ahead you can book a speed awareness course online, and you’ll need your driving licence number to do so. You’ll also need to bring photographic identification with you when attending the course (your driving licence card or passport will suffice).
Bear in mind that you’ll only be offered the chance to do a speed awareness course in place of penalty points if you have already admitted to being the driver of the vehicle at the time of the speeding offence. You’ll also have to take the course no more than 12 weeks after the date of the speeding offence, and no further offences must have been committed at the time of the speeding offence.
As mentioned earlier, you’ll only be offered the chance to attend a course if you haven’t already been to one in the last three years and if your speed was within certain limits. These speed limits are listed below, although even these should only be considered as a rough guideline since certain police forces may have different limits:
| Speed Limit | Minimum Speed | Maximum Speed |
| 20mph | 24mph | 31mph |
| 30mph | 35mph | 42mph |
| 40mph | 46mph | 53mph |
| 50mph | 57mph | 64mph |
| 60mph | 68mph | 75mph |
| 70mph | 79mph | 86mph |
Does a speed awareness course affect insurance?
When a motorist is hit with a speeding conviction they may see their insurance premium increase by around 30 per cent. But a speed awareness course is not the same thing, so your insurance premium may not be affected at all.
However, while taking a speed awareness course technically means you’ve avoided being convicted for a speeding offence, there may still be an effect on your car insurance depending on questions your insurer asks.
When setting up an insurance policy with a provider, they will ask if you have been convicted of a motoring offence. If the speed awareness course is all you have done, then you can answer ‘no’ to this question.
But the insurer may also ask if you attended a speed awareness course and for this you’ll be legally obliged to give an honest and detailed answer. It’s not guaranteed that the insurer will bump up the price of the premium in response, but it’s certainly possible because while it may not be a conviction, it does indicate you have a tendency to drive over the speed limit.