Pass Plus and the impact on your car insurance

It's long been established that the highest car insurance premiums go to the under 25's, with new drivers sometimes being quoted in excess of £2000 for a yearly premium.

There are ways in which a new driver can reduce their premiums. Some of these relate to the car they drive: generally the smaller the car and less powerful the engine, the cheaper the premium.

Another, increasingly popular, way is to take the Pass Plus course soon after passing your driving test. This will not only help you obtain a cheap car insurance premium, but it will also help you gain confidence on the roads by training you in aspects which, for one reason or another, were not available to you during your original driving lessons.

Motorways are the main reason of doing Pass Plus. Obviously a learner driver cannot go on a motorway, so often this is the only way a young driver can gain expert tuition on these fast-paced, scary roads. Dual carriageways are also covered to help the new driver gain confidence for motorway driving.

Night driving is included, as is town driving, driving in the rain (or fog or snow), and driving on country lanes. It's worth noting that some insurers will offer car insurance if driving is restricted to daylight hours only.

There is a cost involved with Pass Plus, which varies depending on your borough and the instructor. It may be worth contacting your local council to see if they will sponsor you and pay half the cost. There is no test at the end of the course and once you've completed it, you should be a better, safer and more confident driver. When getting a car insurance quote don't forget to mention you have completed Pass Plus, and you could get a substantial discount - around 30% with some firms. You may even recover the money spent on the course with the money you save on your premium.