Motorists spotted speeding should be able to choose a course says Mr Steen

Totnes MP Anthony Steen says he finds current policy on speeding drivers "incomprehensible".

Mr Steen was involved in a head-on crash last year where the other driver admitted liability but the police offered a course of driving improvement instead of proceedings through the magistrates' courts.

Mr Steen says a scheme to improve driving skills should also be offered to those who are caught by speed cameras.

He said that last summer, in Devon, the car he was driving on the correct side of the road was hit head-on by a car being driven on the wrong side.

Both cars were written off and both drivers were injured.

'Glaring anomaly'

Mr Steen said: "The other driver quite properly admitted liability and said he was wholly responsible for the accident and his insurance company paid in full to replace my car.

"The police took three months to conclude that instead of proceedings in the magistrates court they would offer the offending driver an opportunity to attend a driver improvement scheme.

"All he was liable for was �110 to pay for the scheme.

"Surely a similar discretion could be given to the police, which they currently enjoy for serious car accidents, to be available in relatively minor speeding and parking incidents, where danger to life is not an issue, safety is not at stake and damage and loss nil.

"It seems quite incomprehensible that somebody driving on the wrong side of the road... gets off without his licence being endorsed because the police have discretionary powers but they have no such discretion where speed cameras are involved.

"This is a glaring anomaly."