Mandatory Attendance of Driving Improvement Course

The Driving Improvement Course (the Course) has been introduced by the Transport Department since September 2002. To further enhance road safety, the Driving Improvement Course is made mandatory for repeat traffic offenders and persons committing serious traffic offences from 9 February 2009. This article provides information on the Course, persons required to attend, and other related information.

The Course

The Course, which is part of the Driver Improvement Scheme, is specifically designed for enhancing awareness of road safety and fostering good driving behaviour. Motorists can attend the Course on a voluntary basis.

The Course is provided by Driving Improvement Schools. Please refer to the following link for more information on the Course, including the Schools’ locations and telephone numbers.

Who are Required to Attend

As a measure to further enhance road safety, the following two categories of drivers are required to attend the Course on a mandatory basis from 9 February 2009:

• offenders who have been convicted of serious traffic offences, such as dangerous driving and drink driving ; or
• traffic offenders who have accumulated 10 Driving Offence Points (DOPs) within 2 years. They will be required to attend the Course for every 10 DOPs incurred.

Court Order / Transport Department’s Written Notification to Attend the Course

Generally, traffic offenders will be required to attend the Course within 3 months from the date of the written notification issued by the Transport Department, or within the period ordered by the court.

How to Calculate DOPs for Mandatory Attendance of Driving Improvement Course

Traffic offenders who have accumulated 10 DOPs within 2 years are required to attend the Course. Traffic offenders will be required to attend the Course for every 10 DOPs incurred. However, the DOPs incurred in the following circumstances will not be counted for this purpose:

• DOPs incurred for traffic offences committed before the implementation date of mandatory attendance of the Course, i.e. 9 February 2009; or
• DOPs incurred before the date of the driver’s completion of the Course which was taken voluntarily.

Deduction of Driving Offence Points

After completion of the Course, 3 DOPs will be deducted from the cumulative DOPs. However, no DOPs will be deducted if the person:

• has incurred 15 DOPs or more; or
• has already been deducted 3 DOPs within the past 2 years.

Consequence of Non-compliance with Mandatory Attendance of the Course

Traffic offender who does not comply with the court order or the written notification from the Transport Department to attend the Course may be liable to a maximum fine of $10,000 and imprisonment for a maximum period of 2 months, and he / she is still required to attend the Course. The Transport Department will refuse to issue, re-issue or renew a driving licence of an offender who fails to abide by the order or notification.

If the traffic offender is ordered compulsory attendance of the Course and disqualified by the court from holding a driving licence at the same time, the Transport Department will return the driving licence to the offender only after he / she has completed the Course and upon the lapse of the disqualification period.

Be a Responsible Driver

A driver is not only responsible for oneself and his / her vehicle, but also for other road users, such as passengers and pedestrians. The following links take you to driving guidelines and points to note to ensure road safety.