Car Insurance Pass Plus

Any young person in the UK who has done a little bit of research on the internet about car insurance has no doubt heard about Pass Plus, the driving course created by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA).

Because of the high amount of fatal accidents on UK roads that involve young people, Pass Plus was designed to help young people manage all sorts of driving situations and lower their risk of being involved with an accident. According to DSA reports, 80 percent of people who have completed the course say that their driving skills have improved substantially while 93 percent claim that they are very much more confident on the road.

Many young people actually don't possess the kind of confidence and experience needed to both avoid an accident or actually cause the accident. Data from various sources shows that 42 percent of car accidents are caused by motorists under the age of 25. Furthermore, young drivers are responsible for two in every five fatal road accidents. Also, for first year drivers, one in every five have an accident.

This is why Pass Plus was created – to bring these statistics down. Unfortunately, uptake on the course has been fairly low (13 percent of the millions of drivers on the UK roads have taken the course). This is strange, since many insurance companies will offer a discount of 12 to 35 percent on car insurance for doing the Pass Plus course.

Exactly what the Pass Plus course covers:

The Pass Plus course teaches drivers of all ages, and experience, the following:

1) How to drive in all types of weather conditions – rain, snow, heat etc.

2) How to drive on the motorways and avoid hazards at high speeds.

3) Driving on dual carriageways.

4) Safe driving at night and in all kinds of light conditions.

5) The differences between road driving and rural driving.

6) Driving in town and being confident on busy roads, one-way streets.

7) How to handle a car effectively and have a well-rounded idea on a car's limits etc.

Does my area provide the Pass Plus course?

Most areas in the UK do provide the course through selected driving schools. You only need to phone your local driving training school and check that they have an instructor who can facilitate the course. Doing the course will also make it easier to find insurance while you're still a learner driver. Often the driving school may provide provisional insurance for you as well.

You may need a provisional license, however. To do so, simply log on to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) at www.dvla.org.uk, go to 'online services' then to 'online order form', and order a D1 pack. This you will need to fill out and send back to the DVLA. You can also pick one up from the local post office. (Note, you must be at least 17 years old to apply.)

How this all helps your insurance premiums.

Car insurance companies are much more pleased to give a reasonable rate to a young person if they are assured the person is more responsible and has a certain amount of maturity. As mentioned above, Pass Plus can give you a large discount on your premiums (12 to 35 percent) and it also helps you to be more confident on the road, meaning that the odds of you getting a no-claims discount any time soon is high. Many insurance companies are also offering unique no claims discounts, allowing a young person to claim in just nine months.