Courses for drivers caught speeding 'cut risks'

POLICE have welcomed new research saying speed awareness courses work.

Independent research has concluded that education courses for speeding drivers have a “long term impact” on driving behaviour.

South Yorkshire road policing head Chief Insp Stuart Walne said he was pleased by the findings of a study carried out by Prof Robin Martin, of Aston University Business School in Birmingham.

“This complements previous research which shows that education is the major contributor to achieving compliance and better driving, backed up by enforcement,” he said.

“Nationally, figures show that exceeding the speed limit and driving too fast for the conditions accounted for 25 per cent of fatalities on the road last year.

“The South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership supports this approach of using speed awareness and similar courses to improve compliance and reduce the risk to all of our road users."

Courses are held in Barnsley, Doncaster and Catcliffe.

Prof Martin said: “A speed awareness course does improve people’s attitude and intention not to speed in the future.”

Prof Martin and colleagues out a comprehensive review of how people behaved before and after the course, how much they learned and their attitude to the course, including their future intention to positively modify their driving behaviour.