Speed awareness courses launched in Surrey
Submitted: 01/03/2010 13:53:44
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Speed awareness courses launched in Surrey
MOTORISTS who speed in Surrey now have the opportunity to go back to the classroom to refresh their driving skills - rather than picking up a £60 fine and three penalty points on their licence.
The courses, offered to those drivers caught speeding just a few miles an hour over the limit, were officially launched at The Spectrum Leisure Centre in Guildford last Friday (26 February). The launch was marked with a visit from the Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Councillor Kay Hammond, and Assistant Chief Constable, Ian Dyson, who called in to speak to some of the first course participants.
The four-hour classroom based presentation by road safety specialists from AA DriveTech, is run at three different venues in Surrey, currently Guildford, Staines and Betchworth, but is only available to those travelling just a few miles an hour over the limit.
The course aims to generate a better understanding of the consequences of speeding and raise awareness of the importance of sticking to speed limits. The course also helps drivers recognise speed limits and provides instruction on driving more carefully. Drivers who meet the eligibility criteria will pay £73 to attend the course, which covers the cost of administering the scheme. It is not offered to drivers who are travelling at speeds well above the speed limit, or those who have attended a national speed awareness course within the last three years (from the date of the offence). Drivers can be referred to the same course elsewhere in England and Wales if that is more suitable.
Implementation costs for setting up the new speed awareness courses were funded as part of the Drive SMART initiative, launched last September by Surrey County Council and Surrey Police to tackle anti-social driving, an issue regularly identified as a concern by local residents. Up to 5,000 motorists are expected to attend the course in the first year. Referrals to the course are via camera-captured speed offences.
Surrey's Assistant Chief Constable Ian Dyson said: “This is about reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on Surrey’s roads and raising drivers’ awareness of the impact anti-social driving, in particular speeding, has on communities. Often the most effective way of achieving this is with education rather than enforcement and the speed awareness courses aim to re-educate motorists to drive more carefully and considerately to pose less risk to themselves and other road users.
“This does not mean we are being soft on drivers. Surrey Police will take a robust approach in targeting drivers who continue to act irresponsibly and break the law.”
Leader of Surrey County Council Dr Andrew Povey added: "Educating people to drive more safely and sensibly is central to our Drive SMART campaign. Offering motorists the opportunity to learn about the consequences of driving dangerously should make them better drivers in the future which in turn will make Surrey's roads safer for everyone."
AA DriveTech Managing Director Jim Kirkwood, said: “We know that education makes a positive contribution to road safety and we work hard to ensure that our courses are relevant and useful to those drivers who attend. We never lecture or preach. We’re there to inform, advise and support motorists so they complete the speed awareness course with a better understanding of the risks they face while driving, as well as picking up some useful and practical tips for becoming safer drivers.”
Drive SMART is a year-long campaign by Surrey County Council and Surrey Police to tackle the problem of anti-social driving. One of the first initiatives by Dr Andrew Povey, Leader of Surrey County Council, was to pledge £1 million to set up the campaign after the issue was regularly identified as a concern by residents to local councillors.
ENDS JAW/24/2010
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