1.4 million drivers go back to the classroom
More than 1.4 million drivers attended offender retraining courses in 2017.
This was the highest number on record and almost a million more than attended in 2010, the first year courses were offered.
The vast majority of offenders were sent on the national speed awareness course – 1,195,356.
A further 92,386 people completed the What’s Driving Us? course.
In total there are now nine courses available that, at their discretion, police can send drivers on.
Introduced in 2017 were the national Motorway Speed Awareness Course and the National Motorway Course.
Commenting on the data, Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said:
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said:
“The emergence of so many courses partly reflects the increasing complexity of the road network and rise in restrictions drivers now face.
“From 20 mph zones in towns to variable speed limits on motorways the rules of the road are growing in type and number, and there now seems to be a course to match every eventuality.
“The record number of courses run last year could be topped this year as police step up enforcement of Red X signals on motorways.”
Last year the RAC Foundation and the Daily Mail commissioned Dr Adam Snow to analyse how many speeding offences were detected and how these were disposed of. His analysis showed wide disparities between constabularies. In 2016, 80,235 drivers were offered the courses in Avon and Somerset. In neighbouring Wiltshire, nobody was.
ENDS
Contacts:
Philip Gomm – Head of External Communications – RAC Foundation
020 7747 3445 | 07711 776448 | [email protected]
Notes to editors:
The RAC Foundation is a transport policy and research organisation that explores the economic, mobility, safety and environmental issues relating to roads and their users. The Foundation publishes independent and authoritative research with which it promotes informed debate and advocates policy in the interest of the responsible motorist.
The RAC Foundation is a registered charity, number 1002705.