Safer roads as a result of more police power say TTC Group
Roads will be safer as a result of police being given more powers to fine careless drivers on the spot, rather than take them to court, say the TTC Group, the award winning Shropshire organisation at the forefront of driver re-training for motorists across the UK.
More efficent enforcement of the traffic laws will help to get over “vitally important” road safety messages and discourage “poor” driving, said Alan Prosser, of Telford’s TTC Group which runs hundreds of driver education courses each year.
“I think the Government move is very positive. A more pro-active approach by police can only be good for road safety.”
Police would be able to offer roadside advice to motorists and take a more serious line with those whose driving behaviour poses more of a risk, he said.
It would also take people away from the court system.
“It is within our gift as drivers to choose our own driving behaviour. For those who do not drive correctly and endanger others this move by the Government can only improve road safety.”
The new police approach is likely to be introduced in England, Scotland and Wales in 2012.
Instant fines of at least £80 and three points on their licence would be given to motorists who tailgate, undertake or cut others up. Currently, motorists who drive carelessly are often prosecuted through the courts.
The Department for Transport (DfT) say the new strategy will include a crackdown on drug-driving and the closing of loopholes that allow people to escape drink-drive charges.
Disqualified drivers would have to undergo retraining, and possibly take another test, before they got their licence back. While courts would be encouraged to make more use of their powers to seize vehicles for the most serious offences.
Ministers insist the new approach will try to target genuinely reckless motorists rather than those who normally follow the rules but make an inadvertent mistake.
There will be support for new drivers who need to hone their driving skills, and wider range of retraining and education courses for cases of less-serious offences.
Alan (53) with more than 30 years road safety experience is introducing the new NDORS Driver Alertness scheme, a replacement for the National Driver Training Scheme (NDIS) which motorists choose to attend instead of going to court for minor traffic offences. The scheme was introduced nationwide last month.
