MOST drivers are guilty of breaking the speed limit, maybe by five or 10 miles an hour, maybe when they’re late for work or keen to get home on time – it’s not a great crime, is it?

Well, actually it is, and it’s an attitude West Mercia Police is planning to change with a new scheme designed to educate those behind the wheel rather than punish them.

From early 2009 low level speed offenders – those travelling no faster than 10% above the legal limit – in the county and across the West Midlands will get the chance to complete a National Speed Awareness course instead of paying the £60 penalty and having three points on their licence.

The idea was unveiled by co-ordinator Paul Bristow at West Mercia Safer Road Partnership’s (SRP) first annual conference in Herefordshire at The Courtyard in Hereford.

He said the main benefit was that money from the courses, which cost the motorist about the same as a fine, would go directly to improving the level of driving on the road rather than going to the police force as a whole.

“We are trying to get away from this ‘cash cow’ perception – and certainly the perception out there is that the motorist has been hounded – and this will go a long way to doing that,” he said.

The courses are likely to be theoretical and will run flexibly so most offenders can attend outside work hours.

The announcement came after Councillor Brian Wilcox, who chaired the conference, said the number of deaths on county roads had risen to 22 last year compared with an average of 17 over the past four.

But partnership manager Trevor McCavoy said the randomness of collisions could not be avoided and that serious crashes in the county had, overall, been cut by 70% since police started the Safety Camera Partnership (which last year became the SRP in conjunction with other services like the Highways Agency) four years ago.

“We have to accept there will be peaks and troughs in the number of accidents but, when compared with the wider roads network throughout West Mercia, we are doing really well,” he said.

He said future plans included assessing speed measures for the entire length of the A49 and, later, the A44, A438, A4103 and A465.

Richard Lawrence also introduced the fire service as the newest SRP member alongside presentations from other partners.

THE Hereford Times Safer Driving Campaign was launched to encourage safer driving on the county’s roads after a 75% increase in fatal car accidents in 2007 compared to the previous year. The following details provide further information about road safety: Herefordshire Council, on 01432 260947, offers courses for drivers who have just passed their test and people older than 70.

More information about Mercia Accident Rescue Service (MARS) is available at marsbasics.org.uk Time and Place, which makes road safety presentations to young people, can be contacted on 01432 820573.

The police’s seven deadly sins campaign can be viewed at westmercia.police.uk