TTC LAUNCH SPEED AWARENESS COURSES IN S.YORKSHIRE
No points on his licence: Barnsley motorist Keith Blower says the speed awareness course is “fantastic” as he re-visits the camera which caught him speeding with Chief Inspector Ian Bint 
Speed awareness courses have been launched in South Yorkshire by the TTC Group to re-educate motorists and cut the region’s road crash toll.
Speeding was a contributory factor in at least a quarter of the 71 deaths – which included eight children - on South Yorkshire roads last year, latest figures reveal. A total of 555 people were seriously injured, 835 pedestrians hurt and there were a total of 6,246 crashes in 2006.
South Yorkshire police have called in driver training specialists, the TTC Group, to run courses for drivers caught speeding just a few miles over the limit. Speed awareness courses are being run each week in a number of venues including Barnsley, Sheffield and Doncaster.
It now means that drivers who stray over the limit will not automatically get points on their licence. They will be given the option of attending a three hour seminar to give them the skills to stick to speed limits and avoid concentration lapses.
The South Yorkshire Police Authority is one of only 12 out of 44 force areas to run speed awareness courses which give motorists the chance to re-learn speed reduction skills in exchange for a payment of £60 instead of a fine and penalty points. Studies show that the course is successful in re-educating drivers.
Seven motorists attended the first course at the Priory Campus in Barnsley in October. They learned about hazard awareness, speeding consequences and tips on how to keep themselves and others safe. On the course they heard about a typical speed survey of motorists driving between 3pm and 4pm past a primary school during term time - where over half were travelling too fast.
Keith Blower (52), a Barnsley window maker, of Worsbrough, was on the first course after being detected by a camera doing 38 mph on his way home after watching Sheffield Wednesday lose on a Saturday afternoon.
“I was thinking about the game and the road went from a 40 mph to a 30 mph and I wasn’t concentrating. The speed awareness course though was very good. We all enjoyed it. It was fantastic and it really opened my eyes. I’ve been checking my speed ever since.”
Chief Inspector Ian Bint, of South Yorkshire Police, said: “Our objective is to reduce casualties. We will use all methods to do this including driver education and prosecution. If we can achieve our objectives by educating people instead of prosecuting them then that is what we will do. It is common sense.”
Graham Wynn, joint director of the TTC Group, who received the OBE for services to road safety last year, praised South Yorkshire Police for introducing the education scheme which helps drivers to cut their speed and reduces road crashes.
“South Yorkshire police are being very proactive in introducing this scheme to reduce speeding through driver education. We are pleased to be given the opportunity to work with South Yorkshire Police in making this project a success.”
There was a “growing realisation” by both local authorities and police that they must take action to combat 40,000 serious road crashes in the UK each year.
“In a recent survey most drivers said they believed speeding is a problem but only 10 per cent admitted they do it. By alerting motorists about the dangers on our increasingly busy roads we can help to ensure that they are a safer place for both pedestrians and drivers,” added Mr Wynn.
The TTC Group, which is the UKs leading provider of education for convicted drink drivers, will also take over the running of the National Driver Improvement Scheme in South Yorkshire next year educating motorists caught driving carelessly. They run the NDIS scheme in Kent and also provide speed awareness courses for Merseyside Police.
For more information about driver education visit www.ttc-uk.com or call 0845 270 4363.
END
For more information contact Chief Inspector Bint/Tanya Geddes in the police Press Office on 0114 220 2020 or TTC Group publicity co-ordinator Elaine Adams on 01952 505026 07970 019184 or the TTC Group on 0845 270 4363
Note to news editors: On the speed awareness course, motorists are educated how to identify hazards, recognise speed limits and consider the consequences of speeding. They hear that 80 per cent of pedestrians die when hit by a car at 40 mph while 80 per cent survive a 30 mph collision.
Three quarters of crashes are in urban areas, 23 per cent on country roads and just two per cent on motorways. Driver error contributes to 95 per cent of crashes and students on the course are reminded to take extra time on their journey, given advanced driving skills enabling them to recognise earlier potential road hazards such as roundabouts on the horizon or church spires in the distance indicating they are entering a town and a 30mph speed limit awaits them. The main “unknown” fact among drivers is that recurring lamp posts mean it is 30 mph unless there is a sign to show otherwise.
Many are on the course because they mistook a 30 mph limit for 40 mph. They are made aware how to “read the road” and recognise clues to help them identify speed related hazards.
South Yorkshire Safety Camera Partnership statistics:
· There were 6,247 casualties in collisions on roads in South Yorkshire in 2006. A total of 71 people were killed and 555 were seriously injured.
· Eight children lost their lives on South Yorkshire’s roads in 2006.
· There were 835 pedestrian casualties in South Yorkshire during 2006.
· 32 per cent of fatalities on South Yorkshire’s roads in 2006 were pedestrians.
· There were 286 pedal cyclist casualties in South Yorkshire during 2006.
· Speeding is a contributory factor in at least 26 per cent of collisions that result in fatalities. National research has shown that speeding is common with 50 per cent of all drivers admitting to exceeding the 30mph limit in urban areas.
· 80 per cent of pedestrians hit at 30mph will live, while 80 per cent of pedestrians hit at 40mph will die.
· An average family car travelling at 35mph will need an extra 21 feet (6.4 metres) to stop than one travelling at 30mph
