Motorists caught speeding may soon be able to choose to go on a driving course instead of getting points on their licence.

One in 10 drivers - around three million people - are expected to get a ticket next year, and the government is considering ways in which it can reduce that figure.

They also hope that giving drivers better skills will reduce the number of deaths caused by speeding - currently estimated at around 1,000 a year.

A pilot scheme is already operating in Northampton and it could soon be extended across the country.

Drink driving

The idea of allowing drivers to go on courses rather than giving them points has been welcomed by the AA.

It's unsocial to drink and drive now, maybe in about five or ten years time speeding will be unsociable to do as well Brian Henderson - Northants police

Its head of road safety, Andrew Howard, said there had already been a drift away from using fines alone as a deterrent for drink driving and careless driving.

Mr Howard said putting people on courses so that they learnt not to make the same mistakes again had become increasingly important.

He said: "It's much better if we can get someone to pay to come to learn the difficulties of speeding than it is if we just penalise them and take the money away and give them points."

Mr Howard said the courses would wake people up to the peculiarities of the British speed limiting system and sort out the people "who are ignorant from the people who are not innocent".

'Speed kills'

One of the drivers on the pilot course, Shirley Goodman, said it had helped her learn more about road safety.

She said it had taught her to be "more aware and concentrate more on what I'm doing when I'm in the car than things that are going on outside the car".

Brian Henderson, of Northamptonshire Police, said officers hoped the lessons would bring about a complete change of attitude about speeding.

He said: "It's unsocial to drink and drive now, maybe in about five or 10 years time speeding will be unsociable to do as well.

"People will realise that speed kills."