Millions of drivers caught breaking law can avoid prosecution with £79 trick

Millions of drivers caught breaking law can avoid prosecution with £79 trick
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Two million drivers caught committing offences were allowed to take retraining courses to avoid prosecution last year. That is up from 1.9 million in 2023 and represents the highest annual total in records dating back to 2014, according to figures from UK Road Offender Education.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: "Motorists featuring in these numbers should be thankful that they aren't appearing in the even more worrying road casualty statistics that record the toll of death and injury that persistently haunts our roads.

"Drivers should respect motoring laws because they exist to protect all road users," he told the Press Association news agency on Sunday (January 19) after the figures emerged. Drivers have reported that the cost of taking a speed awareness course – which can be taken at a venue or online – ranges from £79 to as high as £100.

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Speaking out today, Mr Gooding added: "It is noticeable that the price of courses varies across the country, which might reflect historic costs involved in setting them up, but in an online world begs a question of why this variation persists.

"Do we want a situation where drivers shop around for the best deal rather than attend a course that has been designed to reflect the local circumstances?" More than four out of five (82%) of last year’s course attendees went on speed awareness classes, which last two hours and 45 minutes.

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These aim to help people identify speed limits, resist pressure to speed, and avoid distractions. Department for Transport (DfT) figures show 314 people died in crashes on Britain’s roads in 2023 in which a driver exceeding the speed limit was a contributory factor.

This was at least a 10-year high. Courses are run by a combination of private companies, councils and police forces across the UK.