Devon County Council

The National Driver Improvement Scheme is operated by DCC in partnership with Devon & Cornwall Constabulary. Courses are offered by Police to drivers or riders as an alternative to prosecution for careless driving. Since the introduction of the scheme, over 7000 drivers in the South West have taken advantage of the opportunity to attend.

The course has a duration of one and a half days. The content of the course follows the guidelines laid down for Driver Improvement courses as approved by the Association of National Driver Improvement Service Provider (ANDISP); that is:

Day One - Morning - 09:00 to 13:00

• Introduction to the course.
• What makes a good driver? What goes wrong? An exploration of the qualities of a good driver as well as the issues that can prevent this
• Hazard perception and avoidance. Defining hazards. Stressing the importance of observation, anticipation and planning. Introducing the System of Vehicle Control and how it should be applied.
• Crash analysis. Looking at how crashes occur from the perspectives of responsibility and avoidability.

Day One - Afternoon - 14:00 to 17:00

• Practical training session. An opportunity to review and improve your driving skills under the guidance of a highly-qualified instructor. The session will reflect the issues covered during the morning classroom session, as well as dealing with safe, defensive driving practices.

Day Two - Morning - 09:00 to 13:00

• Traffic rules knowledge test (09:00 to 09:30). It would be beneficial to revise the Highway Code for both this test and for the course!
• Practical training session. Continuing from the Day One afternoon session (09:30 to 12:30).
• Course Discussion. Where to from here? How to maintain your improved driving standards. An opportunity for you to express your views about the course (12:30 to 13:00).

The scheme was piloted at the Devon Drivers Centre from 1991 and is now available nationally. For more information, visit the National Driver Improvement Scheme website.

In 1994 the scheme was recommended by Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabularies as good practice. In 1997, it received a Prince Michael of Kent special award, and in 1999, achieved the Lynda Chalker Award for services to road safety.