Pass Plus is a scheme that was set up to help new drivers be safer.
It used to reduce insurance premiums by up to 50% but in 2010, insurance companies started to look closely at accident rates among those who had taken the Pass Plus course and they found it wasn’t helping as much as predicted.
In August 2010 the Driving Standards Agency removed claims from it’s website that Pass Plus reduces the chances of a new driver being involved in an accident. The majority of insurers no longer give discounts for Pass Plus but it is still worth considering as it will help you become a safer driver.
Although you may no longer get big discounts when you insure a car, it could still save you money because the skills you learn will help you reduce the chances of being in an accident.
Saving your life is more important than saving money!
If you really want to improve your driving I recommend you take an advanced driving course.
The good and bad of Pass Plus
If you haven’t driven for a while after passing and want a refresher course then the course can be great.
Where it doesn’t work so well is if you take it straight after passing the driving test. I always think it’s odd that some instructors teach you to drive and then after you’ve passed they sell you a course where they’ll teach you all the bits they missed out!
I like to teach people everything they need to know on normal driving lesson. As much of the Pass plus syllabus as possible into my normal lessons. You’ll do almost all the topics with me anyway without having to take (and pay for) extra lessons after passing.
Learners can drive on motorways before passing their test now so Pass Plus just isn’t as necessary these days
Let’s look at the topics you’d cover on Pass plus and how I put them into normal lessons.
The topics you cover
- City driving – Birmingham is a city so you’ve already done this on every lesson. As for city centre driving, there is no need for cars to be in a city centre. You can walk, catch the train/bus or cycle in.
- Night time driving – Most people have lessons in the dark at some point anyway. If it’s summer then you can’t do it because it’s not dark until 10pm.
- Country lanes – The area I cover is full of country lanes. You’ve already done this
- Dual carriageways – The area I cover is full of dual carriageways. You’ve already done this.
- Bad weather – If there’s no bad weather (snow/ice) then I can’t show you this. If the weather is bad then I can’t do the lesson because of the bad weather!
- Motorways – Learners can now drive on motorways before passing the driving test. This will probably be the final nail in the coffin for Pass Plus.
If you haven’t driven for a while then taking Pass Plus is well worth it but if you are interesting in developing your driving skills further then consider an advanced driving course.
You can learn more about Pass Plus on the DVSA website.
