This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Scheme to make Scots better drivers
13/03/2002
Research findings into the pilot West Lothian driver training scheme have shown that it is an effective method of addressing driver behaviour.
Organisations and drivers who took part in the West Lothian Driver Improvement Scheme (DIS) backed the concept of driver training schemes. The schemes allow Procurator Fiscals the alternative of diverting drivers who have been charged with minor driving offences (careless and inconsiderate driving) to the DIS rather than face prosecution.
Lewis Macdonald welcomed the publication of research findings, saying that the scheme could make better drivers of Scots throughout the country.
The research was commissioned to evaluate the West Lothian pilot and how well it integrated with the Scottish criminal justice and legal system, in order to make recommendations on the features of any future Driver Improvement Schemes for Scotland as a whole.
Driver Improvement Schemes have been operating in England and Wales for over 10 years.
Lewis Macdonald, Deputy Transport Minister commenting on the results of the research said:
"The Scottish Executive has set demanding targets for reductions in road casualties by 2010. I am, therefore, keen to support initiatives to improve road safety. Poor driving behaviour can cause injury and death to road users, so schemes which lead to improved driving behaviour are good news.
"This study suggests that driver improvement schemes in Scotland are both practical and desirable. Attendance at a driver improvement course can help drivers to re-evaluate their driving behaviour, to gain appreciation of their faults and to eliminate undesirable behaviour. This is not a soft option and provides intensive remedial training for each offender. I believe this is a more positive and constructive approach than simply prosecuting drivers for minor driving offences without addressing the underlying causes of their offence.
"I consider the way forward is to allow a number of providers, who are members of the National Association of Driver Improvement Scheme Providers, and who meet the criteria set by the Association to provide driver improvement courses in Scotland."
Colin Boyd QC, the Lord Advocate added:
"In the light of the research, Procurators Fiscal may exercise the option, where they consider it appropriate, of referring offenders to such courses instead of prosecuting them."
The main findings of the research were:
- Driver Improvement is an effective way of addressing the driving behaviour of those charged with careless and inconsiderate driving offences.
- Organisations involved in operating the scheme and drivers who participated in it are positive about it, suggesting that the concept of driver improvement schemes in Scotland is both practical and desirable.
- The model operated in England and Wales could be applied in Scotland without fundamental alteration to the methods used to implement it.
- The research identified some aspects of both the England and Wales model and the West Lothian pilot that could be improved but these are relatively minor.
- Three models of provision for a Driver Improvement Scheme in Scotland are identified, each with advantages and disadvantages - a single national provider, contracted to a client organisation with national scope; local providers serving each of the Procurator Fiscal or police force areas, with a single provider in each area; or a free market, with a range of providers offering driver improvement training, where no contracts would be required but providers would have to be members of ANDISP (the national co-ordinating body for driver improvement schemes) to be eligible to receive referrals.
The West Lothian pilot scheme was operated by the Institute of Advanced Motorists in Livingston in association with Lothian and Borders Police and the Procurator Fiscal's Office at Linlithgow. During the 18 months for which the scheme operated, 101 drivers participated in the scheme. The scheme is backed by the Scottish Executive, the Crown Office and the Procurators Fiscal Service.
The research was conducted by NFO System Three Social Research in 2001. The study involved interviews with key organisation informants from the Linlithgow Procurator Fiscal's office, the Crown Office, the Institute of Advanced Motorists, the Driver Improvement Company, the Scottish Road Safety Campaign and Lothian and Borders Police; interviews with service providers in England and Wales and with other key organisations and individuals; and a survey and in-depth interviews with participants in the West Lothian pilot.