Pass Plus - Why Everyone Should Do It!

The Pass Plus scheme was developed by the Department of Transport in 1999 with a view to improve driver skill and to teach them to drive more safely. A study published in May 2008 revealed that only 18% of new drivers participated in the Pass Plus scheme in the first year of becoming a new driver. Here we will discuss why Pass Plus should be considered as a necessity once you have passed your practical driving test.

Insurance Premium Savings

In some cases participation in the Pass Plus Scheme can reduce your car insurance premium for the first year after passing your practical test. However, given that the scheme can cost in excess of £100 you should look at quotes with and without Pass Plus to see whether the saving matches or exceeds the cost of doing the course. This should be straight forward if you are using one or more comparison websites to obtain a quote.

Local Council Grants

Depending on where you live, it may be possible to reduce the cost of doing Pass Plus by obtaining a grant from your local council. The government maintains a list of councils that offer discounts on their website. In some cases we have seen, the local council have offered grants of £80 to offset some of the cost of the scheme!

Non-Monetary Value

Of course, insurance companies wouldn't offer reduced premiums and local councils wouldn't foot some of the bill if they didn't think the extra training was worthwhile. So you've looked at insurance and spoken to your local council and they are offering no financial incentive, "why should I bother with Pass Plus?" I hear you ask!

The answer is simple: In 2013 there were 183,670 reported casualties in road accidents, 21,657 of which involved serious injuries and 1,713 were fatal (source). Additionally, a paper compiled by the DSA in 2008 shows that 1 in 5 new qualified drivers have some kind of accident within six months of passing their test.

The road is a dangerous place to be and any extra experience and knowledge you can gain is of great importance to both you and those around you.