---

Road Safety Bill [HL]

I support my noble friend Lord Attlee in what appears to be a very timely and valuable initiative. With the increased number of speed cameras and other offence-catching cameras, the number of people approaching 12 points is increasing rapidly. The object of speed cameras and other cameras is to encourage better driving and to a very significant degree they are having that effect. I applaud that. If, as I fear may happen, an overwhelming number of people are approaching 12 points, there is a danger of motorists having an adverse reaction. If the court were able to say, ““Look, normally we would disqualify you, but if you are prepared to undergo a course of retraining, we will give you the 12 points but we will not disqualify you””, it seems to me that that would have a highly beneficial effect. A short period of retraining will probably help to teach people not to speed, not to jump traffic lights and not to commit other such offences. It is a very valuable approach to a developing situation and I would have thought it was entirely in line with the Government’s objectives, which I am fully prepared to accept are to improve the standard of driving rather than to raise money.