Time we got up to speed in offering awareness course

THAT moment when you get an official-looking letter through the post and know it’s not an invitation to the Queen’s garden party.

That sinking feeling when you read the letterhead which says “police”.

That hit-your-head-off-the-wall frustration for putting your foot down on the accelerator — when there was really no need — and being nabbed for speeding (40mph in a 30mph zone in south Wales).

Not that I understood any of this at first, given the letter was entirely in Welsh. The English translation on the other side made more sense.

“This offence carries a three point penalty. Reply now or get six points on your licence and a fine.”

But then, a glimmer of hope shining up from the page: “If you would like to attend a speed awareness course you can apply to do so. If you do attend, you will not have any points added to your licence.”

Hello! A rare get out of jail free card. Sign me up pronto.

Reading through the lists of centres offering the courses, I was confused.

There were dozens upon dozens of locations in England and Wales — but none in Scotland.

I phoned a helpline. A man called Andy said that while some awareness courses were held in Scotland and indeed Dundee, it seemed from his computer files that they only covered drink-driving. “It’s why the Cumbria course is so popular,” he said. “It’s the closest to Scotland so loads of people go there. You might find it’s full and have to go further south.

“It’s offered to people who speed as a one-off, not habitual offenders — and a lot of people, more than a million a year, take the offer of an alternative to points.”

Suddenly my “get out of jail” card didn’t seem quite so free or easy. A day’s travel, payment for the four-hour course (between £80 and £200), time off work, childcare, possibly an overnight for an early morning course...

A course that is respected, educational, innovative and of real help to offenders who want an alternative to points — and offered across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. But not Scotland.

We like to pride ourselves on doing it better north of the border — whatever “it” may be — although statistics on educational achievement and healthcare targets would suggest something quite different, that actually we are falling behind.

I only hope our own government’s decision not to join this scheme has nothing to do with thinking we’re better doing our own thing.

But then, what logical explanation could there be for not offering Scots the course? Do get in touch if you know.

In the meantime, three points is starting to seem like the easy option.