I HAVE always been of the school of thought that speeding is okay as long as you do it safely, but that has all changed for me now.

I recently joined a group of confirmed speeders for a speed awareness course.

And while I was sceptical of what the course could deliver, I went with an open mind and a willingness to learn.

Our friendly teacher Dave Hodgkinson ushered the ten of us into a classroom to give us the lowdown on the dangers of speeding.

After hearing the facts and statistics about the cost of speeding, roughly 3,000 deaths and injuries in Lancashire last year were related to speed, Dave invited us to talk.

"So what made us speed?"

Some confessed they actually liked speeding. Others blamed their busy lives.

If my illusion that speeding is okay, as long as you do it safely, wasn't shattered by Dave's barrage of statistics, it soon would be once we got behind the wheel of a car with a personal instructor.

Food for thought: 95 per cent of all drivers think they have above average driving skills, mathematically impossible! And travelling at 35mph, you are twice as likely to kill someone than at 30 mph, because it takes an extra 21 feet to stop.

After the session with Dave, we split into groups of two for a three-hour practical session.

Avril, my instructor, highlighted a number of areas to work on to improve my driving, with the hope that if you are driving well, speed will not become an issue.

The course has changed my mind on speeding and I have learnt that no matter how safe a driver you think you are, there is always room for improvement.

Speeders can now take the £85 speed awareness course as an alternative to points on their licence if they are caught at 36 or 37mph in a 30mph zone; 48-49mph in a 40mph zone; and 59-60mph in a 50mph zone.