Pictured: Helen Hopkins

Educating motorists instead of imposing a fine and points on their licence is "the best way," said one Midlands motorist who attended the newly introduced National Driver Alertness Course run by a Shropshire driver training organisation.

Office manager Helen Hopkins went on the course run by specialist driver trainers TTC 2000 after being involved in her first ever road accident after passing her test 23 years ago.

"I had never picked up the Highway Code since my driving test. It was a very informative course and makes you look at the bigger picture when you are driving and anticipate the road ahead," said Helen, (50), of Audnam, who attended the course at Dudley along with 12 other motorists.

They each did three hours of classroom theory before taking to the road in pairs for a two hour driving session with Andrew Love, an instructor from TTC 2000, part of the TTC Group, which is the UK's largest provider of driver training courses.

"Although none of us really wanted to be there at the start, it turned out that it was the best thing that could ever have happened to me," said Helen, who works in Kingswinford, and is now considering going on an advanced driving course.

"This was a very informative lesson which did highlight certain things I did not know. Everyone took an active part and the instructors were there to help you to think and observe through different scenarios.

"When it came to the driving, no one was more nervous than me but once again you are not being judged on your driving skills. They were purely there to help you. I felt at ease and learned a lot.

"I went home at the end of the day feeling I had achieved something which I can put to good use."

The aim of the course, which replaced the National Driver Improvement Scheme in April last year, is to cut UK road collisions and reduce both the emotional and financial costs of a road crash, said TTC Group's Alan Prosser, who was involved in the development of the course as part of the national review group.

The number of people killed in road accidents reported to the police fell by 17 per cent from 2,222 in 2009 to 1,850 in 2010. This is the lowest figure since national records began in 1926. A total of 24,510 people were reported killed or seriously injured in 2010, nine per cent less than in 2009.

There were 208,648 casualties (slight injuries, serious injuries and fatalities) in road accidents reported to the police in Great Britain in 2010, six per cent less than in 2009.

But the financial cost to the community of a fatal road accident is huge and "immeasurable" to the victim and their families in terms of grief and upset, added Mr Prosser.

The NDAC course was rolled out across the UK last year. The TTC Group run courses on driver alertness, speed awareness and drink drive rehabilitation, across the UK. Visit www.ttc-uk.com for more information.