20mph zones net £57m for police

THE rise of 20mph zones means speed awareness courses now net the police £57 million a year.

Figures show attendance at courses offered to drivers caught speeding in 20mph zones doubled in 2017 to more than 34,000.

Further analysis from the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (NDORS) revealed the number has doubled every year since 2014, when figures were first collected.

The scheme is one of nine motoring retraining courses, three of which are speed awareness courses, that drivers can attend after committing a motoring offence rather than paying a fine.

A record 1.4million drivers attended courses last year. In addition 30,000 drivers attended a national motorway speed awareness course, despite it only being introduced in the last quarter of 2017.

The record figures raise concerns that the police are making money from the growth of 20mph zones in Britain. Course fees go in part to the police, whereas a fine goes directly to the Treasury. In September, the police had their share increased by nearly 30 per cent, from £35 to £45 per driver, meaning they pocketed £56.7million in 2017.

The lower speed limits were introduced in 1991, with 250 in place by 2000, when the law was liberalised to give local highway authorities more flexibility. Since then, England has seen the number of 20 mph zones rocket, with many authorities adopting them as a default limit for residential streets, including those in Oxford, Bristol, Warrington and Hackney.

Minor speeding offences are usually resolved through a fixed penalty notice, consisting of a £100 fine and three points on a licence, yet police often encourage offenders to take a speed awareness course instead.

A spokesman for the National Police Chiefs’ Council said speed awareness schemes were designed to “provide police forces with cost recovery only”.

This included enforcing and administering course attendance, collecting evidence, serving forms and fixed penalties, organising courses, monitoring attendance and registering successful attendance.

In July, the AA said 20mph zones appeared to be working but questioned whether residents were being consulted properly.