Speed Awareness Schemes

[Darren]

Are these another money making scam or do they actually work? Found this useful article on The Telegraph motoring's section:

http://motoring.telegraph.co.uk/motorin ... ware10.xml

Course costs £71 for a single day. If your caught for Speeding, Thames Valley Police give the option to attend. No points if you attend and all you pay is the £71.

Are the IAM/RoSPA/HPC etc etc etc missing a trick here? I've often said maybe 1 day driver improvement programs with hard hitting facts of the consequences of one's actions could change opinion, or am I wrong?

I once remember a PC1 telling of an accident he attended in which a screaming lady couldn't find her child after she had hit another vehicle at a slight angle....the child was 100 yards further down the road, only realised due to the child shaped hole in the wind screen.

Its those kinds of images in peoples minds that make them think...

Views?

[vonhosen]

DIS (Driver Improvement Scheme) has been around for a little while (but not all counties) offering courses, at drivers expense, rather than prosecution. You only get one offer of this in any 3 year period, so for any subsequent offences it's prosecution.

I'd imagine that they may be pushed more to the forefront, along with scaled endorsement points punishments under the Road safety bill.

[jibberjabber25]

Something that I was wondering about for a while, is...do IAM/Rospa observers see those who have had driving convictions? I for some reason used to believe that some drivers are forced to see an IAM observer, is this true? Or does everyone join voluntarily?

[Lynne]

Voluntarily JJ. They can't be forced to join these organisations. RoSPA and IAM observers also work voluntarily. Drivers who have had driving offences may be encouraged or may wish to join in order to improve their skills and so be less likely to pick up more points!

Lynne

[jibberjabber25]

Oh right, thanks Lynne. I have no idea where I got that idea from. I Must be crazy!