Speed Awareness Courses: What They Are and Whether to Accept

Not every speeding offence results in a course offer. The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) guidelines set out the threshold bands within which a course offer is typically made:

• The lower threshold is usually 10% of the limit plus 2 mph (so 35 mph in a 30 mph zone).
• The upper threshold for a course offer is typically 10% of the limit plus 9 mph (so 42 mph in a 30 mph zone). Above this, you are more likely to receive a FPN or be reported for summons.

Individual forces retain some discretion, and courses are only offered to drivers who have not attended one in the preceding three years for a similar offence. Courses are available in England and Wales; Scotland uses a different system (the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme applies but under different local arrangements).

You will receive a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) by post within 14 days of the offence. The offer to attend a course will be included or will follow separately from the relevant police force's Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (DORS) administrator.

Speed awareness courses are run by approved providers on behalf of police forces. Key points:

• Cost: Between £80 and £100, paid directly to the course provider. This compares to a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice plus three penalty points for taking the FPN instead.
• Duration: Typically a half-day (around four hours), held either in person at a venue or online via video link. Online courses became widely available after the COVID-19 pandemic and are now a standard option for many forces.
• Format: The course is educational rather than punitive. It typically covers the reasons speed limits exist, how stopping distances are affected by speed, and the consequences of collisions at various speeds. There is no test at the end.
• Attendance: You must attend the full course; partial attendance does not count. If you book and fail to attend without cancelling in time, you may forfeit your fee and revert to the FPN route.

This is the area where drivers most often receive incorrect information. The key points are:

• No penalty points: Completing a speed awareness course means no points are endorsed on your driving licence. This is the primary benefit over accepting an FPN.
• Insurance disclosure: Despite no points being added, many insurance policies require you to disclose any motoring convictions or course attendances when they occur or at renewal. The exact wording of your policy determines what you must declare — read it carefully.
• Premium impact: Insurers vary widely in how they treat course attendance. Some do not load the premium at all; others apply a modest increase. Because no points are recorded on DVLA records, the DVLA does not report course attendance to insurers, but if an insurer asks you directly whether you have attended a course, you must answer truthfully or risk a policy being voided for non-disclosure.

The safest approach is to check your specific policy wording and, if uncertain, call your insurer to ask before renewing.

Declining the speed awareness course offer does not mean you can avoid any penalty. If you refuse:

• The police will issue you with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) — typically a £100 fine and 3 penalty points on your licence.
• If you choose to contest the matter at court rather than accept the FPN, and you are found guilty, the fine can be significantly higher (up to 150% of your weekly income for speeding) and the court has discretion to impose more than 3 points or even a disqualification.
• If you already have 6 or more points on your licence, a court appearance carries the risk of a totting-up disqualification if you reach 12 points within three years.

For most drivers caught just above the threshold, accepting the course offer is the most cost-effective and least disruptive outcome. If you believe the speeding allegation is incorrect, you should seek legal advice before deciding whether to contest it.