Innovative speed awareness service

Hampshire Constabulary is working with Northgate Information Solutions to deliver a hi-tech speed awareness initiative to improve safety on the county’s roads.

Northgate, specialists in providing technology services to the public sector and utilities markets, will provide a managed service – the first of its kind in the UK – for the force’s Safety Awareness scheme.

Northgate will work in partnership with DriveTech (UK) – which provides road risk management and driver assessment and education – to provide Hampshire with an end-to-end managed Driver Training Course Administration service designed to support the reduction of serious injury and deaths on Hampshire’s roads. DriveTech has supported more than 150,000 drivers through police educational programmes across the UK.

Superintendent Mark Bradford, heads of Hampshire Constabulary’s roads policing unit, said: “We are committed to the reduction of serious injuries and deaths on Hampshire’s roads and are proud that we have taken the steps to become the first force to use this innovative managed service. We believe that heightened motorist awareness will lead to a reduction of offences in Hampshire saving us further time in reduced enforcement.

“At 35mph you are twice as likely to kill someone as you are at 30mph and we need to ensure that regular speeders are made aware of this fact. The Northgate managed service will support us in providing motorists with the education that they need to take more responsibility for their safety on our roads.”

Drivers caught committing an offence covered by the scheme will be automatically offered a Safety Awareness Scheme course or receive a fixed penalty notice. Those who elect to go on the safety awareness course will benefit from a one-day course led by the force.

The course is designed to heighten driver awareness of the dangers of speeding to themselves and their families, as well as the consequences of speeding on the wider community. Northgate will manage the allocation and payment of course places and ensure that full and accurate records can be accessed by the force.

Ian Blackhurst, managing director of Criminal Justice and Public Safety at Northgate Information Solutions, explained: “Pilot studies around the UK have shown that the courses, which tackle drivers’ attitudes to speed, have been successful in reducing re-offending.”

Northgate works with four out of five local authorities and every police force in the UK.