Police in Derbyshire are offering motorists who are caught speeding the opportunity to take a driving course, rather than giving them penalty points and a fine.

In a move which could mean they avoid having to pay higher insurance premiums, motorists will be able to attend a one-day education, training and awareness course run by the Derbyshire Constabulary and the Derby and Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership.

Robert Hill, manager of the road safety partnership, said many motorists do make a "conscious decision" to speed and many are "shocked" when they learn the danger of exceeding the speed limit.

"Many people have not been offered any motoring tuition since they learned to drive as teenagers and have no idea of the significant risks posed by small increases in speed," Mr Hill explained.

The course is intended to "educate people, rather than punish them", he added.

James Flynn OBE, chief executive officer of RoadPilot, recently said given there are 10,000 fixed and "frequently-used" mobile speed cameras in the UK so people who speed are risking penalty points or losing their licences.

A recent police campaign in Tayside may help cut the number of car insurance claims in the area, it has been suggested.The force revealed it conducted a 24-hour crackdown on a variety of motoring offe...

Motorists keen to buy a vehicle that can help them protect the competitive deal they have secured on over-50s car insurance may be impressed with the Honda Accord's performance in a recent safety asse...

Thames Valley police stopped more than 550 motorists last week for a range of offences, including driving without car insurance.During the five-day initiative, officers worked with representatives fro...