Pictured above: Alan Prosser
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 Midlands
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.
The TTC Group is the UK's largest driver re-training
organisation and its instructors educate convicted drink drivers,
people caught breaking the speed limit and it also runs courses for
the corporate sector and professional drivers through TTC
Automotive.