Safe Speed Forums

DOES SPEED AWARENESS WORK?
This is not a question for the people who have attended a speed awareness course (SAC)but, rather, does it work in the overall strategy of reducing the amount of speeding motorists on the road.
When the first speed awareness scheme was rolled out in Lancashire in May 2001 it was hailed as an "alternative to "prosecution in the similar manner as The Driver Improvement course.

At that time it was operated by the Road Traffic Police who caught "speeders in the act", so to speak.

The single speed of 35 m.p.h.was the criteria for a speed awareness course.

It somehow became connected with the road safety camera scheme, (even though it operates outside of the Scheme) when the Road Safety Partnership was formed in November 2001.

Over the past 7 years the multi-million pound PR budget has presented this as the best solution to implement speed enforcement on a national basis: but does it work?

Okay you don't get points and for that privilige you pay slightly above the odds, but does it really address the problems of all the motorists that are breaking the law by speeding at 38 m.ph. in a 30 limit.
The criteria was raised to 36/37/38 in 2005 by the Chief Constable.
After all the LRSP hype continually reminds us that "IT IS ALL ABOUT ROAD SAFETY".

Freedom of Information statistics recently obtained from the Partners in the Scheme, Lancashire Constabulary & Lancashire County Council indicate that a close look at this scheme gives doubts.

The police referrals for identified "speeding" motorists offered an "alternative" SAC instead of prosecution, over the 7 years it had operated was: 262,102 (2001/2 - 2007/8)
The total "take up rate" i.e. actual individuals from figures supplied from the inter departmental returns at LCC was: 89,146.
This leaves 172,956, identified "speeding" members of the public. What should then happen to them?
They don't seem to have been returned to the FPN system!
Apparently LCC return them to Lancs Constabulary for "consideration".
How long this takes is not known but considering that time of incident to summons issue is usually taken as six months it looks like they slip through the net and nothing happens.

If this is the case then does the inclusion of speed awareness work overall if more than twice the "speeding motorists" identified fail to be punished than actually benefit from the course?
It has been shown that they do not go court as this would mean over 25,000 cases per year in Lancashire would be recorded, the most is 6,000 for ALL motoring offences. and averages less than 4,000 during the same period.
They don't fit into any of the "cancellation" catergories as they have already been identified and offered a course.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Firstly the people being invited are the ones least likley to be in an accident. The people who realy need a kuck up the bum are excluded from the cosy chat.

Drivers who have serious accidents, those caught with leathal tyres and high excessive speeds are offered no training or wake up call. It would be ideal if such courses were offered to every one to reduce whatever penalty by three points. Drivers involved in accidents should be offered driving tutoring.

My friend got 6 points for an overtake that went wrong to add to the 6 she had. she was not banned but offered notraining. I got her on a coursse through work (6 hours with an ex-copper) and she has significantly improved her observation.

_________________
Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

Anton wrote:
The police have the power to offer a Driving Improvement Course. They could extend this if they wanted
This is fully regulated by law.The National Driver Improvement Scheme finds its origins within the Road Traffic Law Review of 1988. This was known as the North Report (after its author Dr Peter North) and many of its recommendations were incorporated within the Road Traffic Act, 1991.
However they make NO profit from this scheme .

These speed awareness courses are not incorporated within the Road Traffic Act, 1991.
They make mucho profit from THESE Schemes!!!

They are unenforceable within the road traffic act. They are just money making schemes that divert Speeding camera income to themselves.
It's a multi million pound business that is completely unregulated or controlled. It gives the impression of having the same authority as The Driving Improvement course through all the Partnership hype but it hasn't.
It's an offer that takes speeding motorists OUT of the Road Traffic Law (and its compulsory time limits) with no real alternative to return them back.

These operators make hundreds of thousands of pounds PROFIT every year.
It looks like these courses were just created to divert money into their coffers. Even the Government realised this and would not allow them to become part of the Road Safety Camera Scheme.
This looks like one of these "Loopholes" that offers a "get you out of jail card" and solicitors must have sussed this one out a long time ago!

Nothing to do with Road Safety! Another case of the Partnerships believing their own hype!

The full FOI reply from Lancashire County Council can be obtained here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/156370338/F ... OI_LCC.pdf

The information contained in the payments made by LCC to Lancashire Constabulary clearly point out to me that the decision made by The Chief Constable to extend the scheme to cover 36/37/38 mph "offences" from 2005 was simply made in the interest of "fairness" to the public and the interest of Road Safety.

After all it only quadrupled their income!

Oh! The FOI request highlighted that a "capping" system of £30,000 was in place!

They must have forgot!!!

Here's more info that speed awareness is all about making money.
here's a quote from a Ministerial reply to Nigel Evans M.P. 2nd April 2008:

In other words IT DON'T WORK! They don't know if you have been on one before or not! Great! We'll just send ALL the offers and get paid for them all! In Lancashire's case, £2.26 each whether they are eligible or not! Lancashire admit that they have to check all the Police referrals and pay RSS £1.50 for each phone call.
It seems to be the Councils who are just running these courses for vast profits. The latest, private, appointed SAC providers operate tight timescales in order to return the failed applications back to the police within the six month summons deadline.
Here's a couple of prime examples of massive loopholes in the Council run schemes:
The Staffordshire Sales Pitch!!!!

Same price as a fine! No penalty points. Don't have to tell your insurance company, Speeding offence is cancelled if you take up the offer. To help you make up your mind: £50.00 per point increase on your insurance!
This is sold, not for Road Safety but a way to buy yourself out of points!
Here's The Essex terms & conditions:

Not a lot about Road Safety here!!

No time scales here! If you want you can take as long as you want to go on a course so long as you keep paying us a tenner a time!! I particularly like the priority at 7.! If you don't pay us, and you've taken the course, we'll chase the debt first and as an alternative we'll then declare your course null & void and call in the plod! Even though it's a civil contract that's been broken!
For anybody that's got the time its worth checking out these service providers Here:
http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/vip8/ecc/ECCW ... tOid=97467
http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/cgi-bin ... ess+speed+
ANDISP is here, under another name:
http://www.driver-improvement.co.uk/CMSPro/54/220.php#E

It doesn't surprise me that Lancashire figure in the statistics fiddle for violence! They have had good practice through the camera scheme. It has just been reported that the Road safety partnership figures to claw back money from the government grant in 2005 & 6 were over 30,000 more than ALL THE ENDORSABLE & NON ENDORSABLE MOTORING OFFENCES TOGETHER for these years.
However when it comes to the clear up rates the figures quoted are JUST HALF of the partnerships claims giving a 99% success rate!!!
It will just be an error!!