Policy background Road traffic Courses offered as an alternative to prosecution
Persons who commit certain low-level road traffic offences (for example, being caught speeding by a speed camera, driving without due care and attention, traffic light offences or not wearing a seat belt) may be offered educational courses under existing powers (section 1 of the Local Government (Goods and Services) Act 1970 and section 143 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 read in conjunction with paragraph 14 of Schedule 1 to the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011). Such courses are offered as an alternative to a fixed penalty (www.ukroed.org.uk ) and therefore a driver who successfully completes a course is not required to pay a financial penalty in relation to the offence, or to have points endorsed on their driving record. The current fee is around £100 as the exact course fee can vary according to local arrangements. This is charged to a driver who enrolls on a course, which covers the cost of the course, administrative expenses and an element to fund road safety programmes. Section 89 sets out a specific statutory basis for this charging regime, putting beyond doubt the police’s power to charge. It does not change the way in which courses are offered, administered or run, but provides greater transparency over the way that fees are set.