Speed awareness courses should be offered to habitual offenders and motorists caught doing high speeds as well as first time and low level offenders, according to the RAC Foundation.
Following the Secretary of State’s launch of the consultation on variable speed penalties yesterday - including proposals for speed courses - the Foundation is urging the Government to consider more widespread application in the interests of road safety.
Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation said: "It has been clearly demonstrated that these courses have a favourable effect in changing the driving behaviour and perception of speed.
"Those offenders who have attended speed education courses in areas like Lancashire show real improvements in their driving afterwards. But surely those most in need of education are drivers who don’t just slip over the speed limit but consistently flout the law or drive way above the limit?"
The RAC Foundation argues that while an early opportunity to change attitudes towards speed and prevent re-offending among first timers and those who have inadvertently strayed above the speed limit is also valuable, given limited resources to fund the courses and lack of spaces on them, places should initially be offered to those whose attendance would produce the biggest gain in accident reduction.
"Inappropriate speed is a problem that needs to be addressed by a package of measures - including driver education, a review of speed limits to ensure realistic limits, and better signing of speed limits including interactive warning signs.
"The Foundation believes that much greater emphasis should be put on driver re-education as an alternative to prosecution. We also stress that automatic enforcement by camera is no substitute for traffic police and Government has to address the reduction in officers as a matter of urgency.
"We would also suggest that for those doing higher speeds, courses could be linked to a reduced number of penalty points and fines. We believe that every driver caught speeding should be offered a speed awareness course at least once. We also support the proposal for "driver re-training" for more serious offences."
The Foundation said it has been campaigning for a scheme of national speed awareness courses following national guidelines as initial research suggests that those attending the courses are less likely to re-offend. It stressed the need for national guidelines as the content of current pilot courses varies considerably. All courses should have a practical element with the offender actually going on the road with an advanced instructor, according to the Foundation, adding that more than 25,000 drivers had already taken such courses in Lancashire.
However, it seems unlikely that any government, addicted as they all are to revenues from cash cameras, is likely to cough for greater driver awareness. Far too sensible, perhaps?
Rant rant, bloody tax hiking government! rant over.... 
I add I was only the passenger allbeit a very observant one. 
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