Speed Awareness Course

What is the National Speed Awareness Scheme?
The National Speed Awareness Scheme is an innovative scheme that has been put in place by police forces across the UK to allow motorists caught speeding the chance to complete a workshop rather than be issued with three penalty points and a £60 fine.

Each force appoints a member of the ANDISP - Association of National Driver Improvement Course Providers to oversee and deliver the courses in their particular area. ANDISP has been established to make sure that such courses have a quality standard and are consistent in their teachings.

Who can go on the course?
The National Speed Awareness Scheme is offered to a number of offending motorists after they have been caught speeding. Usually the drivers eligible will be those that have exceeded the legal limit but not by a huge amount. Each individual police force will decide what their margins are. If you are invited to attend such a course you will be given a specific date, time and location to attend and you will need to accept the offer, or decline and take the fine and the points on your license instead.

What if I accept but I can’t make it on the day specified?
Please make sure that you leave in plenty of time and try to arrive early on the day of your course. If you are late it is likely that you will not be allowed to join the class and will forfeit your place. If you cannot attend due to illness you will need to let the course organisers know at the first opportunity (there will be a contact number on your offer letter) and you will need to provide a doctors note as evidence. Your case will need to be reviewed by the police before they come to a decision on whether you will be offered another place or if the offer will be withdrawn.

Do I have to pay?
Yes. The course fees are usually between £60 and £100, which you pay to the course provider direct - a similar price to paying the fine, although of course, avoiding penalty points can keep your insurance premiums down and save you money in the long run.

What does the course cover?
The idea behind the course is the belief that if a person's attitude and behaviour can be changed, then this is more likely to prevent them from re-offending than simply paying a fine and receiving points on their license. The course objectives will cover things like:

• Why the person was speeding
• To help them understand the consequences of speeding
• To help them to learn and identify different speed limits and the areas they are likely to apply
• To ensure they can identify hazards, and how road speed should be altered to accommodate them.

How long does it last?
In most cases, the course will be about 6 hours long and will vary, though it will usually consist of a combination of the following:

• Classroom based theory training
• In-car practical training sessions with approved driving instructors
• Workshops

How often can I go on one of these courses?
Once you have attended a Speed Awareness Course you are not allowed to do another for a minimum of 3 years.

If I appeal against my offence and am unsuccessful, can I still go on the course?
No. If you decide that you want to appeal against the offence you are free to do so, but as soon as you do, the offer to attend a course will be withdrawn.

Important Things to Remember:

• You must take your driving license with you (if you hold a photo card license you must bring both the cards and the paper part) or you will not be allowed to take your place on the course.
• You are not going to have to take a driving test but you will be expected to take part in discussions between the group to pass the course
• There will be around 15-20 people on an average driver improvement course For more information on the National Speed Awareness Schemes running in your area, contact your local police force.

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