Monday, 09 July 2012 13:44

A recently released report from Brainbox Research Ltd (on behalf of ACPO) provides crucial evidence on the longer term effectiveness of Speed Awareness Courses.

The Speed Awareness course is an educational alternative to receiving a fine and penalty points following a low-level speeding offence.  Having been offered in Sussex since 2008, 60,271 clients have attended a course and many have contacted the team afterwards to say how much the experience taught them.

Brainbox Research Ltd were commissioned by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to undertake rigorous research into the effectiveness of Speed Awareness courses and their longer term impact on driver behaviour.

The report states:

The research provides evidence that the National Speed Awareness course produces positive changes in attitudes with drivers perceiving fewer advantages and more disadvantages of speeding. The course makes it easier for clients to identify the speed limit for the area in which they are travelling and produces greater intentions to drive within the speed limit in the future. Previous research for the Department for Transport (Stephenson et al., 2010) showed that clients who were not offered a course did not show these increases.

These changes are maintained at follow-up, indicating that the course provides clients with continued protection.

The Sussex Safer Roads Partnership is delighted that this in-depth assessment of the Course indicates such positive outcomes.

Natalie Moloney, Superintendent for Roads Policing, Sussex Police, comments:

“By offering the Course to those motorists who are neither excessive nor prolific speeders, we have the chance to refresh knowledge and skills and change behaviours in a way which simply giving out a fine and points will not do.

“We are committed to balancing education and enforcement strategies in order to help generate habitual compliance on the roads, and the Speed Awareness Course is a way to help us do this.

“I am delighted that independent research has confirmed the effectiveness of this approach.”

You can find out more about the Speed Awareness Course through this website, or read the report for yourself here.