SPEEDING PENALTY SHAKE-UP
Scots drivers offered alternative to points as record number are caught breaking limit
DRIVERS caught speeding in Scotland are to be offered ‘awareness courses’ instead of points on their licence – as the number breaking the limit hits a record high.
In a radical shake-up of the law, they will be given the chance to avoid a three-point penalty and £100 fine if they pay to attend an official speed awareness course.
The Scottish Mail on Sunday can reveal the move has been given the go-ahead by the country’s chief prosecutor, and police are about to start planning details such as where the courses would be held, who would teach them and what material would be covered.
New figures suggest around 80,000 motorists a year are now caught
speeding, with the number of charges having increased year on year, driven by the introduction of average speed cameras.
Yesterday a Crown Office spokeswoman said: ‘The Lord Advocate has granted permission to Police Scotland to commence preparatory scoping work on the possible introduction of speed awareness courses as an alternative to prosecution for speeding in Scotland.
‘A decision on whether to consent to such courses being carried out in Scotland will be made after the results from the UK Government’s evaluation into their effectiveness are published.’
The number of motorists charged with speeding has risen steadily over recent years. In 2013/14, there were 64,806 cases, which rose over the following two years to 68,600 and then 72,897.
By 2016/17, the number had risen to 74,582. New figures show there were 43,039 cases recorded in the first six months of 2017/18 – suggesting a new record total is likely.
Information from Police Scotland shows that average speed cameras on the A90 and A9 now record the highest number of offences in Scotland, raking in hundreds of thousands of pounds from motorists each year. Neil Greig, of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: ‘These figures are disappointing. They underline that we are some way off making speeding as socially unacceptable as drink driving.
‘Drivers tell us they never see a police car, so what we are seeing is the growth in automatic enforcement. That’s a missed opportunity because it does not give us the opportunity to educate people about the dangers of speeding.
‘We still don’t have speed awareness courses in Scotland, which are a really good way of reaching hard core offenders and challenge their driving behaviour in public. Research from down south shows that people who go on these courses are less likely to reoffend.’
Being caught speeding results in a minimum three penalty points and £100 fine in Scotland. In England, these are dropped if the driver attends a course – although these can cost almost £100. Courses involve questions on the Highway Code, discussions about the causes of consequences of speeding, and a look at case studies.
Figures obtained by the Scottish Mail on Sunday reveal the country’s worst speeding blackspots in the last six months, including 2,704 offences on the A90 between Admiralty junction and Echline junction, 2,015 on the A90 between Old Stonehaven Road and Redcraigs Lodges, and 1,790 on the A9 between Inverness and Dunblane.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: ‘We remain committed to making our roads safer, and are working towards an ultimate vision of zero fatalities and reduced number of serious injuries.’