Diversionary courses
For offending drivers specifically, education has been
used in the form of diversionary courses (offered as
an alternative to prosecution) for many years now.
The Road Traffic Law Review of 1988 recommended
an increased use of education in response to traffic
offences and, as a result, Devon and Cornwall
Police and Devon County Council developed and
introduced an educational course to be used as an
alternative to prosecution for the offence of ‘careless
and inconsiderate driving’. This was the first course
of its kind and it still forms part of the National Driver
Alertness Course¹.
Today there are a number of courses that are available
as a diversion from prosecution, for an array of offences.
The National Speed Awareness Course (NSAC) is
the most-used and has also been most extensively
evaluated². It combines a rational approach (that
explains how individuals are able to recognise speed
limits and skills they can employ to adhere to them)
with some fear-appeal elements.
Following a triple-fatal road crash in 2016 that
was caused by a driver using a mobile phone, the
Department for Transport indicated that it did not
consider education to be an appropriate disposal
for this offence³. Whilst it is still permitted to offer
diversionary courses, many forces have taken a steer
from government and do not offer them, although the
‘What’s Driving Us?’ national course can be offered
to such offenders 4 . This has yet to be fully evaluated.
Some local courses have also been offered, including
Crash Course in Staffordshire, which has been the
subject of longitudinal evaluation, but which is not
currently available. 5. .
You can find a case study of Crash Course overleaf.
¹ Burgess, C. N. W., & Webley, P. (1999). Evaluating the effectiveness of the United Kingdom’s National Driver Improvement Scheme. In G. B. Grayson
(Ed.),Behavioural research in road safety IX (pp. 39−54). Crowthorne: TRL.
² Ipsos Mori, Barrett, G., and the Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds. Impact evaluation of the National Speed Awareness Course. Available
from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/706208/national-speed-awareness-course-
evaluation.pdf
³ DfT (2016). A consultation on changes to the Fixed Penalty Notice and penalty points for the use of a hand-held mobile phone whilst driving. Response to
Consultation. Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/565099/hand-held-
mobile-phone-driving-consultation-response.pdf
4
NDORS (nd). The Courses. Available from: https://www.ndors.org.uk/courses
5
Savigar, L. (2016). How can education be used to influence road safety attitudes and behaviours? An exploration of Crash Course as a diversion from
prosecution and as road safety training for employees. Report for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire – December 2016.
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