Speeding motorists could attend driving classes to cut penalty points

Motorists fined for speeding will be allowed to "buy" points off their driving licence under plans announced by the Government yesterday.

Offenders who have at least six penalty points or have been disqualified for at least 56 days will be given the chance to attend driving school at their own cost. Those who successfully complete the £200 course would win a deduction of three points or 20 per cent of the period of disqualification, Bob Ainsworth, a Home Office minister, said.

The plan, which could be tabled in legislation next year, was one of several measures intended to improve road safety.

Other proposals include a sharp rise in jail sentences for those who kill at the wheel. The maximum jail term for causing death by dangerous driving will rise from 10 to 14 years.

The move would mean that motorists who kill could receive a longer prison sentence than people convicted of murder, measured against a 12-year minimum recommended by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, earlier this year.

The proposals, contained in a Home Office report, would also increase the penalties for drivers using mobile phones. However, Kevin Clinton, head of road safety with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "We are disappointed that using mobile phones while driving is not to become a specific offence.

"The number of people who do make calls while driving justifies such an offence, which would help make it crystal clear that this is not safe," he said.

"The public do not seem to be accepting that using mobile phones while driving is wrong.

"However, we welcome the rest of the announcement. Sentences should reflect the seriousness of the offence."