Drink drive courses cut re-offending

DOE courses designed to educate convicted drink drivers significantly reduce the likelihood of re-offending.

This was the message today from Environment Minister Edwin Poots following the publication of a study which looked at whether attendance at a DOE-approved course for drink drive offenders reduced the likelihood of re-offending.

Mr Poots said: "The aim of these courses is to equip every participant with the knowledge, skills and attitude to make the correct and responsible decision as a driver – never ever drink and drive.

"The findings of this major study reinforce my belief that educational interventions like this are a very powerful weapon in the fight to reduce the incidence of drink drive offending in Northern Ireland.

"I would urge any drink drive offender offered the opportunity to attend one of these courses to take it up. Attending a course makes a real difference to your likelihood of not drink driving again. Even more important, it could also be the difference between life and death on the road."

Mr Poots highlighted the dedication of those responsible for the delivery of the courses.

He added: "This level of success does not happen without real commitment from the teams involved. These latest figures show that the quality of training available in Northern Ireland continues to have a positive and lasting impact on convicted drink drivers.

"As a result, many of the drivers we will meet on our roads today will better understand the drink drive message which is very clear – just one drink impairs your ability to drive. One drink can kill."

Notes to editors:

1. The Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 gave courts a sentencing option for dealing with drink drive offenders – the court can make an order that an offender’s period of disqualification be reduced by up to 25%, on satisfactory completion of a rehabilitation course.

2. Referral to courses is at the discretion of the District Judge. It is up to the offender, or legal representative, to ensure that the District Judge has the relevant facts to enable an informed decision on referral to be made. The offender decides whether or not to accept an offer of referral.

3. A previous evaluation of the scheme carried out in 2005 found that offenders who had completed the course were 3.8 times less likely to re-offend than those who were also referred but failed to enrol. The report published today is based on a much larger sample of offenders: 4,637 as compared to 370 in the 2005 study and, as a result, the findings will be more robust.

4. The 2010 reconviction analysis shows that:

• Up to two years after their original conviction, 1.9% of offenders who had completed a course had been reconvicted of a subsequent drink drive offence, compared with 6.2% of those who did not complete a course. This represents a reconviction rate that is 3.3 times higher for offenders who did not complete a course compared with those who did.
• Up to three years after their original conviction, 3.4% of offenders who had completed a course had been reconvicted of a subsequent drink drive offence, compared with 8.0% of those who did not complete a course. This equates to a reconviction rate that is 2.3 times higher for offenders who did not complete a course compared with those who did.

5. The effectiveness of the courses in NI appears to broadly reflect the experience in GB where it was similarly observed that the largest impact occurs in the first two years following initial conviction.

6. The Probation Board for Northern Ireland was responsible for the delivery of this initiative from its introduction in 1998 and was instrumental in its development from an initial pilot in the Belfast area to a successful rehabilitation scheme throughout Northern Ireland.

7. Telford Training Consultants (TTC 2000) were awarded the contract to deliver the courses with effect from 1 October 2008.

8. Courses are provided in nine locations throughout Northern Ireland - Ballymena, Belfast, Coleraine, Cookstown, Enniskillen, Londonderrry, Omagh, Newry and Portadown.

9. Most courses are run over three days in a two/ three-week period. Courses are available on both weekdays and weekends.

10. There is no direct cost to DOE as the cost of providing courses will be met from course fees paid by convicted drink drivers. Courses cost £155 or a £110 concession.

11. For media enquiries please contact the DOE Press Officer on 028 9054 0014 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.