Motorists caught driving more than 10mph above the speed limit will escape points on their licence under new proposals aimed at raising funds to keep speed cameras activated.

Plans expected to be endorsed by police chiefs in the New Year will see greater use of speed awareness courses instead of licence points or statutory fines.

Motorists will have to hit 65mph in 50mph zones to trigger points and fine, but any less and they will be able to take the courses.

The cost of the classes will rise sharply and proceeds will help sustain the national network of speed cameras, which are under threat from significant cuts in government funding for road safety schemes.

It is expected to trigger a rethink in counties like Oxfordshire and South Yorkshire where cameras have been switched off.

Authorities in Staffordshire and the West Midlands have also confirmed that no new speed cameras will be installed under current funding plans and many could be switched off to cut costs.

Under new plans, a driver caught speeding in a 30mph zone will be given the choice of taking a course if clocked at speeds of 35mph to 42mph, 3mph faster than the current leeway.

In a 40mph zone motorists will be able to drive between 46mph and 53mph and still avoid points, while the limit will climb to between 57mph and 64mph in 50-zones.

Extending the bands is expected to give thousands more motorists the option of taking the courses, but fees for the classes could hit £100.

Courses in the West Midlands and Staffordshire currently cost £60.

Drivers will only be given one chance under the scheme, with persistent speeders automatically receiving points and a fine. Those caught speeding above the new relaxed thresholds will also receive automatic points penalties.

West Midlands Police launched its speed awareness courses in August and more than 1,000 people have taken up the option.

In Staffordshire and West Mercia, the courses have been available for a couple of years. The latest figures published show that between March 2009 and April 2010, 13,051 drivers caught in Staffordshire and 24,839 in West Mercia undertook speed awareness courses to avoid points.

The half-day workshops cost £60 and revenue from these courses alone runs to £2.33million.

In the West Midlands and West Mercia the courses are outsourced to a private firm while in Staffordshire they are operated by the Safer Roads Partnership, a body comprised of local councils and emergency services.