National Driver Improvement Schemes

National Driver Improvement Schemes are available throughout the United Kingdom and are run by Local Authority Road Safety Departments or by private companies who act as service Providers for their respective Police Authorities.

When a person is involved in a Road Traffic Incident and evidence is collated by the Police which indicates that they have been "Driving Without Due Care and Attention, or Driving Without Reasonable Consideration to Other Road Users" contrary to Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, then they may be given an option to attend a National Driver Improvement Course. This option is offered as an alternative to having the incident referred to the Crown Prosecution Service which will result in a Summons to attend court where they may receive a fine and penalty points on their driving licence.

If the offer of a course is made by the Police Authority, information about the scheme is sent to the person/s involved together with an offer to attend a course.

Where the offer of a National Driver Improvement Scheme course is accepted the appropriate paperwork is forwarded to the Service Provider for the relevant Police Authority. As this is a national scheme it is possible to take the course in a location suitable to the person. Thus a person who lives in Cornwall who has an incident in Lancashire is able to opt for a Devon based course and is not expected or required to travel to Lancashire for the course.

The Service Provider for the client's chosen area will liaise with the client to arrange a suitable date for the course. The Courses are 1 1/2 days long, the majority of courses are run all day on a Friday and a Saturday morning. 

The fee payable for a course varies between Service Providers. The fee is payable prior to attending the course. Some Service Providers are able to accept electronic payments, some are able to offer payment by instalments and some will accept payment by cash on the day.

Depending on the Service Provider, the Course is delivered by DfT Approved Driving Instructors and Road Safety Officers. All ‘in-car' training is done by DfT Approved Diving Instructors.

The Course involves a mixture of driving theory, utilising the latest researched thinking on ‘low-risk' driving techniques, combined with modern training methods in practical on-road driving.

After successfully completing the course the client will be notified by the relevant Police Authority that the file has been closed and no further action will be taken with regard to the incident. The date of course completion is recorded and held by the DVLA at Swansea. If the client is involved an another road traffic incident of a similar type within three years of the course completion a course cannot be offered instead of court proceedings.

If a client accepts the offer to attend a course but then fails to attend or successfully complete, the Service Provider is obliged to notify the relevant Police Authority and the case would be referred back to the Crown Prosecution Service and dealt with in the Magistrates' Court.

Note that whilst the Scheme is nationwide not all Service Providers are able to offer courses for motorcycle riders.