Learning from my lesson in the fast lane

BY STEVE LOWE

How do you feel when you get that letter through the post to say you have been caught speeding on camera? For me it was worse, as the first letter I received was from the car-hire company, passing on the details to me and charging an administration fee in the process.

And my family and I were driving through Bristol early one Sunday morning because our flight had been redirected due to the volcanic ash cloud.

Anyway, rather than pay the fine and get three points, I was offered the chance to go on a ‘Speed Choice’ course.

The cost of the course was the same as the fine but if you attended, the speeding offence, and therefore the points, was cancelled. I accepted and last Friday was in Keynsham, near Bristol, for the three hour course.

I vaguely remember the name Keynsham being spelled out on Radio Luxembourg, on the tiny transistor hidden under my bed covers but this was my first visit.

It was pretty, the sun was shining but I still wished I was somewhere else, particularly as I expected to be ticked off and chastised by some burly ex-cop for three hours while showing us graphic images of what mayhem speeding can cause.

I was pleasantly surprised.

Some 15 of us offenders were informed and entertained by two women who were not former police officers but county council employees specialising in road safety.

The two women alternated to keep our attention, involved us in the process - but not too competitively - and surprised us with our own lack of knowledge.

For example, when asked to jot down the speed limits for various types of vehicle on various roads I do not think one of us got them all right. Estimating the stopping distances of cars going at various speeds also caught many of us out, as did the total cost of injury collisions for Great Britain, some £19 billion annually.

There’s a Government saving we could all happily support.

It was refreshing that the instructors understood we are only human and make mistakes or are late for appointments, or suffer a variety of distractions, such as radios, CDs, satnavs, mobile phones (hands-free, of course) and three kids in the back re-enacting World War Two.

These courses are only available to those who break the speed limit by a small margin, or are caught out ‘amber-gambling’ at traffic lights.

It is undoubtedly best not to be invited, as the invitation means you have broken the law but I feel these would be of benefit to all drivers and perhaps should be open for all to attend.

Perhaps they are but if so it is not generally known. I enjoyed myself, learned a great deal and am perhaps a slightly better driver.

IHAD a meeting in London this week and took an early train from Bedford.

Not quite as early as I planned, as the 7.16am train was cancelled at 7.20am.

We all rushed over to platform two to jump on the next train, which soon resembled a sardine can, with us as the sardines.

More and more of us were crushed into the available and limited carriage room, as it rumbled towards London.

I realise this is a daily experience for many but two thoughts came to mind as I was squeezed into a smaller and smaller space.

The first is why are trains the only means of travel where the number of passengers is unlimited in the space provided.

The second is how can they be allowed to charge the shocking price of £42.50 second class return for a third class service?