Speeding Dubbo drivers could be sent back to the classroom in lieu of a fine if the state’s peak motoring body gains support for its plan to help cut the road toll.
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The NRMA wants fully-licensed motorists with a clean record caught going over the limit by 10km/h or less to complete a speed awareness program.
The course would act as a one-off substitute to a $114 fine and loss of one demerit point per three-year cycle.
Motorists were detected exceeding the speed limit by 10km/h or under on almost 200 occasions by Orana Highway Patrol in the 10 months to April 30, Office of State Revenue figures show.
Together they contributed more than $24,700 to the state’s coffers.
They made up about 10 per cent of all speeding offences detected by Orana Highway Patrol in the same period.
The NRMA noted the recent NSW budget showed revenue from fines increased to $605 million, up from $581 million in the previous year.
A classroom-style, half-day course would hammer home important safety messages to speeding drivers, the NRMA contests.
It says a similar program was adopted in the United Kingdom and saw more than 1.2 million drivers take part in 2015 alone, with 99 per cent of participants saying it had changed their driving habits.
The proposal was part of the NRMA's 2012 three-point program to reduce the road toll. The other two initiatives – more visible highway patrols and alcohol interlocks for high range drink drivers – have been adopted by the government.
The approach was endorsed by the NSW Police Association and the NSW opposition.
NRMA chairman Kyle Loades said while the NRMA was a strong supporter of the NSW government's strategy to reduce the road toll through enforcement, new and innovative education programs should also play a part in saving lives.
"Speeding drivers are putting their lives and the lives of others at risk – with over 40 per cent of fatalities in NSW attributed to speeding it is clear more needs to be done to slow drivers down," Mr Loades said.