Education better than disqualification

The RAC Foundation has welcomed the consultation on the issue of amending the range of penalty points for speeding.

Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation said;" Inappropriate speed is a problem that needs to be addressed by a package of measures including driver education, a review of speed limits to ensure realistic limits, and better signing of speed limits including interactive warning signs. However if changes are made to the points system these should be clearly linked to the introduction of more widespread speed awareness courses as also suggested. The Foundation believes that much greater emphasis should be put on driver re-education as an alternative to prosecution. We also stress that automatic enforcement by camera is no substitute for traffic police."

"The Government and police need to maintain the support of the public so a review of the points system liked to speed awareness courses should help."

The Foundation has been campaigning* for a scheme of national speed awareness courses following national guidelines as initial research suggests that those attending the courses are less likely to re-offend. However, it is important to stress the need for national guidelines as the quality of current pilot courses varies considerably. In our view all courses should have a practical element with the offender actually going on the road with an advanced instructor. Already more than 25,000 drivers have had the benefit of such courses in Lancashire.

The Foundation believes that courses should be offered to a much wider range of drivers than is currently the case. In Lancashire courses were only offered to drivers caught at 35 mph in a 30 zone. This is too restrictive as arguably those at 40mph have more need of a course. At higher speeds, courses could be offered but linked to a reduced number of penalty points. We believe that every driver caught speeding should be offered a speed awareness course at least once.We also support the proposal for "driver re-training" for more serious offences.