Convicted speeders are now being offered an alternative to fines and points - a course set up by Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police.

As part of Auto Trader's Safety Week, Alex Eckford went along to the course to find out how the message is being put across.

"It's more effective than giving people points?"

"Spot on, sir," says course leader John Venning rubbing his hands together. The twenty drivers sitting in front of him, each found guilty of speeding at exactly 36mph in one of the capital's 30mph zones, are getting the message.

It's a mixed group, from little old ladies to boy racers, and a trucker who looks like he could snap your neck by looking at you.

As part of a drive to educate speeding motorists, Transport for London, with the help of the Metropolitan Police and driver training company DriveTech, are offering an alternative option to speeding motorists.

Instead of paying a £60 and having three points put on their licences, every motorist in this central London classroom has paid £72 to take part in this two and a half hour eye-opener.

The course is designed to shatter people's preconceived notions about the consequences of speeding.

"It's not a lecture," says John. "I'm not telling you off, it's your choice."

Current police guidelines are 'plus ten per cent plus two'. That is, any motorist caught driving ten per cent over the speed limit plus two miles an hour - 36mph in a 30mph, 47mph in a 40mph zone, and so on - will be prosecuted.

John knows the best weapon in combating speeding is driver education. He uses some sobering figures to drive home the message.

A row of figures appears on the screen at the front of the classroom.

"House!" comes the shout from the back of the room.

"Most amusing, sir," says John. "271,000 people are injured on UK roads each year," he says. "Of those 32,155 are non-recoverable – that means loss of limb or limbs, paralysis, or loss of eyesight. 3,200 people are killed."

Next John asks the class to shout out where they think most people speed. A show of hands reveals most people in the room think it's motorways.

"Wrong," says John. "According to [road safety charity] BRAKE, only 55 per cent of people speed on motorways. 69 per cent speed in 30mph zones. What percentage of fatal accidents happen on motorways?"

Figures of 50, 60 and even 70 per cent are offered.

"It's four per cent. Twelve times as many happen on urban roads. We want to get the point across that it's not necessarily speed that kills, it's inappropriate speed. 36mph on a motorway is one thing, 36mph outside a school can be deadly."

To illustrate the point, he brings up a series of slides showing photographs of an urban street. Various points are marked on the road, which John motions towards.

"This is where the boy and his sister walked out from behind the van. This is where the car started to brake, at a speed of 39mph. This is where the boy's head hit the bonnet, and this," says John, pointing to an area twenty feet away from the car, "is where he landed."

"At 30mph the survival rate is 80 per cent. At 40mph it's ten per cent," says John. "You were all driving at 36mph."

The room falls silent.

"I've met people who this happens to, and it haunts them forever. Don’t let it happen to you."

"Try driving in third gear in 30mph zones - your engine will tell you when you're going too fast. Remember, it's a speed limit, not a target."

The initial light-hearted atmosphere in the room is giving way to straight-faced concentration as the speeders realise the severity of the message being put to them.

The next part of the course looks at speed cameras. Cue groans and rolled eyes from John's attentive audience. But some facts about the cameras are new to most people in the room.

John reveals the money generated by speed cameras can only be used for driver education - public information campaigns, publicity for safer roads - and doesn’t go straight into the government's pocket.

"And speed cameras can only be installed where four people have been killed or seriously injured within a three year period," says John.

"That's not true," says one driver. "There's a camera near Heathrow off the M25, and there are never any accidents."

"I know the one you mean, and let me tell you there are loads of accidents there. Just because you don’t see them doesn't mean they don’t happen."

It’s clear John is passionate about educating drivers to the dangers of speeding. His role will be a successful one if the message has got through.

I speak to the motorists as they leave, and it's clear their opinions have been changed - the information presented has opened a few eyes, and the consequences of speeding have been made vividly clear.

Job done.

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