Speed awareness scheme in Thames Valley expanded

01 August 2006

Motorists will be given extra opportunities to assess and improve their driving after being caught speeding as part of an expansion of the Thames Valley Police Speed Awareness Scheme.

Drivers caught speeding are now given the option of attending one of three courses instead of getting points on their licence. The courses, which aim to educate drivers about the dangers of speeding and change the public’s attitude towards speed, are now being offered to more drivers than ever before.

Malcolm Collis, Safety Manager in Thames Valley Police Roads Policing Operational Command Unit, said: “We have broadened the speed band to make courses available for people breaking lower and higher speed limits on different types of roads. This is helping the Force to be rigorous in enforcing the speed limit and also in their commitment to re-educating drivers, not just penalising them.”

Mr Collis said: “149 people died on the roads in Thames Valley last year. Many of these deaths could have been prevented if people had not been speeding. Expanding the Speed Awareness Scheme will give us the opportunity to educate even more drivers about why speed is so dangerous. This scheme is already very successful with feedback from many sceptical drivers saying it changed the way they drive. We are doing everything we can to make sure that fewer people are killed on the roads each year.”

There is a workshop for speeders breaking the limit in urban areas, one for drivers speeding on faster roads such as dual carriageways and motorways and a course for people caught driving at excessively high speeds. The excessive speeders are offered a more stringent course, but also get a fixed penalty fine of £60 and three penalty points on their licence as an alternative to going to court where they could get six points and up to a £1,000 fine.

DriveTech (UK) founder Chris Howell, said: “The courses aim to give drivers an understanding of how they drive, the risks they face and encourages them to reflect on the consequences of speeding. The positive feedback we get from those attending is tremendous – people are seeing this as a real attempt to make our roads safer rather than just punish motorists."

EDITOR'S NOTES

Journalists are being offered the opportunity to attend a speed awareness workshop run by Drivetech (UK) For more information on the courses see below or log on to www.drivetechsas.com. Contact David Richards, marketing director, DriveTech (UK) on 01344 467271 if you wish to attend a Workshop.

• The course for speeders caught breaking urban speed limits is a three-hour interactive course that costs £74 including VAT. The alternative is a £60 fixed penalty fine and three points on your licence.
  
  
• The course for speeders caught breaking the speed limit on faster roads such as dual carriageways and motorways, focuses on driving in an environment where losing control at high speed offers little time to act. This course costs the same as the urban workshop above.
  
  
• The course for people caught speeding excessively over the speed limit, is a five-hour interactive course and includes a two hour on-the-road session with a trainer. The course costs £94 including VAT and three penalty points. The alternative is the possibility of a court summons, a fine of up to £1,000, six penalty points and depending on the speed, a driving ban.
  
  
• In all cases, there is no guarantee that drivers will be given the option of attending the courses. There are criteria that the driver needs to meet, for example, the driver can not have attended a course within the last three years. In extreme cases of excessive speed, motorists will be given no alternative and sent to court.