The National Driver Improvement Scheme (NDIS)
The National Driver Improvement Scheme (NDIS) is an alternative to court prosecution for drivers involved in a Road Traffic Incident where the evidence collated by the Police indicates that they have been ‘Driving Without Due Care and Attention or Reasonable Consideration to Other Road Users’ contrary to Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act, 1988.
The person/s involved are given an option to either have the incident referred to the Crown Prosecution Service where they may receive a fine and penalty points on their driving licence, or an opportunity to attend a National Driver Improvement Course.
Prosecutions result in a fine, points on a driving licence and annoyance on the part of the driver. Such penalty does not address the cause of the problem. The objective of NDIS is to prevent re-offending and any further accident involvement.
What are Driver Improvement courses?
Driver Improvement courses are run throughout the whole of the UK including Northern Ireland by Local Authorities and private companies who act as service providers to their prospective Police Authority.
There are two main elements to the course; off road theory and on road driving. Road driving theory is delivered on the first morning of the course and practical on road training follows. Both elements combine modern training methods linked with the latest thinking on defensive driving techniques.
The course content follows a model that was devised in conjunction with the different police authorities and is delivered by specialist Approved Driving Instructors from modern training facilities using new cars. During the training course delegates are expected to make positive contributions to the course and demonstrate a willingness to improve their driving.
By the end of the training, course delegates should:
• demonstrate an understanding of the major causes or road accidents
• show an awareness of the effects of stress and fatigue on driver performance
• understand the defensive driving concept of 'avoidably' in road accidents
• show an enhanced appreciation of the role of hazard recognition in accident avoidance
• understand the need for a systematic approach to hazards
• appreciate how driver attitude and behaviour affect safe driving performance
• complete all the course paperwork
Back to School - A Soft Option?
No. The course is only available to certain drivers who will be seen to benefit from attending the course. It gives the opportunity to some drivers to improve not only their driving skills and abilities, but also their general attitude to driving and other road users.
The course presently requires participants to take a day and a half out of their working lives at their own expense to attend. It costs approximately £150.
All Service Providers have an obligation to check an individual’s driving licence when they undertake any form of practical driving assessment or training. Providers will also conduct the same eyesight test conducted on the car driving test. It is a statutory requirement to drive a motor vehicle on a Public Highway that you must be able to read a number plate in good daylight with or without glasses at a distance of 20.5metres (67 feet) or 20 metres (65 feet) if it is a new style number plate.
Having successfully completed the course, the Service Provider returns the client file to the relevant Police Authority. They in turn will notify the client that no further action will be taken for that particular incident. The client’s name will, however be held on a database at the DVLA for a period of three years from the date of course completion. If they are involved in another incident falling under the same criteria within the three-year period they will not be offered a National Driver Improvement Course in lieu of proceedings.
Driver Alertness Course
The Driver Alertnesss course is a pilot alternative to the long established National Driver Improvement course. It has been developed by the strategic Course Development Group of NDORS as a possible alternative or replacement of the National Driver Improvement Course.
Driver Alertness is being piloted and evaluated by a number of Police Authorities from September 1st 2009.
Drivers offered a course by one of these Police Authorities will only be able to take a course in the areas where the pilot is operating and any driver offered a course by an Authority not involved in the pilot scheme will only be eligible for the existing National Driver Improvement course.
This does mean there will be some loss of national flexibility during the life of the pilot scheme. A driver from Cornwall, for example, who committed a relevant offence whilst on holiday in Scotland, would need to travel at least as far as Somerset to take a diversion from prosecution course. Equally, a driver from Scotland committing a relevant offence whilst in Devon would be obliged to travel from home to Lancashire or Humberside for a course.
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