Member Article

TTC to build on 4500 drink-drive rehabilitation course milestone with Northern Ireland contract extension

More than 4500 drink-drive offenders in Northern Ireland have completed rehabilitation courses over the last decade to help prevent them from re-offending it was revealed today.

TTC Group, the organisation responsible for delivering the courses in 11 different areas including Belfast, Coleraine, Enniskillen, Londonderry and Portadown, made the announcement after it was awarded the contract to continue providing the training for a further five years.

The company is now hoping to work even closer with the country’s courts to inform them of the ability to offer an offender - who is disqualified for 12 months or more in respect of an alcohol-related driving offence - the chance to complete the course.

Training, which is provided by a team of expert trainers in Northern Ireland, tackles the problems associated with drink-driving, giving participants the chance to develop future non-offending behaviour and, thereby, reduce reoffending and the possibility of injuries and deaths.

“We have developed some excellent relationships over the last ten years and recent reports have highlighted the positive difference the Course for Drink-Drive Offenders (CDDO) is having here,” commented Eddie Phair, Northern Ireland Programme Manager for TTC Group.

“The challenge now is to build on this and make sure we continue to deliver high quality courses that are having a lasting impact. Last year, there were 55 courses held and over 630 people completed the programme, a 9% increase on the previous year.

He went on to add: “There’s definitely some work to do to get more referrals from judges and this is something we are working on with the court system.

“I’d like to think we can get to a position where half of all offenders are taking and completing the courses.”

The courts in Northern Ireland can offer drink-drive offenders the opportunity to attend a drink-drive rehabilitation course as a sentencing option.

Where an offender is disqualified for 12 months or more - in respect of an alcohol-related driving offence - the court may order that the period of disqualification be reduced if the offender satisfactorily completes an approved Course for Drink-Drive Offenders.

Attendance is voluntary, costs are met by the offender and those successfully completing the course receive a reduction of up to 25% in the period of disqualification and potential discounts on higher renewals offenders will receive from insurance companies.

To successfully complete a course, a participant must attend all ten modules delivered over three sessions.

“Northern Ireland is set for some big changes when it comes to Drink Driving, with the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill set to be introduced in the future,” added Eddie.

“This means that the current blood alcohol concentration of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood will be reduced to 50mg for a typical driver and 20mg to a specified person and that covers learners, novices and professional drivers.”

TTC Group, which is headquartered in Telford in the UK, delivers driver education courses to 400,000 motorists every year.

In addition to Northern Ireland, it also holds contracts that cover large parts of England, Scotland and Wales, including recent wins in Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Wiltshire and Yorkshire.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .