Safe and Considerate Driving (SCD)

This course is offered as an alternative to prosecution for some road traffic incidents.

It lasts 1 day (8 hours) and includes tea and coffee at registration, and a further break will be provided.

The course is

• a mixture of a classroom discussion and practical driving
• not a driving test. You can however fail it by driving in an unsafe manner causing your practical drive to be ended by the instructor.

You will be provided with a fully insured modern car for the practical driving sessions. If you have a particular need and your own car is adapted for those needs, it can be used after approval by us.

You can attend only one National Driver Alertness course in 3 years. Any further offending will be dealt with by prosecution.

The course trainers have professional driver training backgrounds and follow national guidelines. The police do not participate in the course.

You can take the course in other areas in the UK, just search the police DORS website to attend a course outside of Kent.

Booking during the coronavirus pandemic

However, due to current public health guidance you can only book the online classroom based theory element of this course.

The mandatory practical element of the course will become available once social distancing rules are relaxed.

Further information on this course can be found at National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme website.

Before booking your course

Before booking your course you must

• authorise NDORS to share your data with us
• agree to the terms and conditions (PDF, 166.5 KB)

For information about how we use and share your personal information for the purpose of booking a driver education course, read our privacy statement.

Before attending the Safe and Considerate Driving course you must read the medical fitness advice from GOV.UK. Make sure the DVLA are kept up to date.

Cost of the course

The total cost of the course is £194 and is non refundable.

This price is fixed whether you attend an online class or after 3 August, a location based class.

However, your payment will be taken in two parts.

• £90 for the online class
• £104 will be required when you are contacted to book the practical element.

When booking your course please make sure you have the means to pay. You may book online and pay by debit or credit card.

If you have been advised that your current booking has been changed to an online course you will need to contact the Kent Driver Education Team at KDE@kent.gov.uk or call 03000 411554.

Book or change your course

To book your course in Kent, please call 03000 41 15 54 or email KDE@kent.gov.uk.

If you need to change your booking, you can do so up to 10 days before the date of your original course date, free of charge.

If you need to change your booking within 10 days of your original course date, you will need to call us on 03000 41 15 54. You will incur a charge of £145 if changing the course within 7 days. This charge may be waived in exceptional circumstances if we receive written proof within 5 days of your course.

If you'd like to change an existing course booking, you must have your:

• driver's licence number
• booking reference number starting KDE.

If you do not know your licence number, you can check it through GOV.UK's licence detail viewing service.

Before attending

Weather conditions and traffic and travel may affect your journey. You must make sure you check journey times well before you travel, and plan your journey accordingly. Failure to arrive on time, will result in no admittance to the training room.

Identification

You must bring a valid photocard driving licence. If you do not have a photocard driving licence, the old style paper driving licence may be produced with another form of photographic identification.

Failure to produce photographic ID will result in no admittance onto the course and you will incur a rebooking fee.

For more information visit the NDORS website.

If you have any questions concerning your photo identification, which is a requirement to attend the course, you should contact Kent Driver Education team on 03000 41 15 54, well in advance of your course date.

If you currently have a paper licence, you may wish to apply to exchange your paper driver licence to photo driver licence.

If you have lost, damaged or had your drivers licence stolen, apply for a replacement online.

Corrective eyewear

Your course includes an on-road driver training element delivered by qualified ADIs. The vehicle type (i.e. manual or automatic) will be the one you selected when you booked online or via the telephone with the Kent Driver Education Team and should be the one that you normally drive. Disqualified drivers will not be able to participate.

Please also bring with you any corrective eyewear you require to drive in order to participate. An eyesight test will be conducted before the course. You will need to be able to read a vehicle registration plate from an unobstructed distance of 20 meters. If you fail the eyesight test you will not be able to complete the course.

If you have a specially adapted vehicle to enable you to drive, you will need to contact the Kent Driver Education team on 03000 41 15 54, who may be able to arrange for you to use your own vehicle. Please note this must be agreed prior to booking your course.

Please make sure you arrive on time.

If you are late you will not be allowed to participate. This could lead to a re-booking fee if we can offer a new course date, or your case being returned to the police.

**Addresses shown above correspond with those Royal Mail hold.