Upon passing your practical driving test, you will have the opportunity to take an optional Pass Plus, which is something most newly-qualified drivers pass up not realising how beneficial Pass Plus can be.
Introduced in the 1990s, Pass Plus can only be taken during the first 12 months after passing your practical test. There is no formal examination and nor is it a ‘pass or fail’ programme in the conventional sense.
Instead, Pass Plus is a six-hour course of advanced driver tuition, which familiarises motorists with driving conditions and scenarios not covered in conventional driving lessons.
Those who undertake the Pass Plus course are issued with a certificate and gain access to a number of important benefits.
What is Covered in Pass Plus?
Pass Plus exists for the simple reason that long lists of important driving experiences are not covered during a normal driver tuition program. The Pass Plus course typically takes place over a series of one- or two-hour lessons, each focusing on one or more of the following:
- City centre driving
- All weather driving
- Dual carriageway driving
- Motorway driving
- Night driving
- Rural road driving
The simple fact of the matter is that a standard course of driver tuition does not cover everything needed to make you a fully safe and confident driver. You may learn to drive on comparatively quiet roads around your neighbourhood, only to realise driving on a busy motorway is a completely different experience.
Pass Plus may not be mandatory, but nonetheless comes highly recommended for anyone looking to become a safe and confident motorist.
What is the Point of Pass Plus?
The tendency among most newly qualified drivers is to drive straight into their driving careers, without a second thought. This is understandable, given the excitement and enthusiasm that accompanies hitting public roads unaccompanied for the first time.
Even so, there are several benefits that come with Pass Plus that are worth considering. Along with making you a safer and more confident motorist, Pass Plus could also save you a lot of money on your annual driving bills.
Just a few of the benefits of taking Pass Plus are as follows:
- It familiarises newly qualified drivers with driving at night, which is rarely covered during regular driving lessons.
- You get the opportunity to drive on busy motorways for the first time with a qualified instructor, at the wheel of a safe modern car with dual controls.
- Pass Plus includes driving at the maximum national speed limit of 70 miles per hour, which is something you will not do while learning to drive.
- The potential hazards of driving on rural roads are best experienced and navigated for the first time under the watch of a trained instructor.
- Likewise, the stress and anxiety of driving through a busy town or city centre can be reduced with the help and support of a qualified professional.
- After taking Pass Plus, you will get far more enjoyment out of driving, and you will naturally be a much safer and more confident driver.
If all this wasn’t enough, Pass Plus can also pave the way for significant savings on car insurance. Newly qualified drivers have a tendency to be stung with extortionate premiums from most insurance providers.
With Pass Plus, it is possible to save anything up to 20% on your premiums. Given how young drivers fresh from their driving tests often pay in excess of £1,000 to ensure their cars, the discount available could easily cover the costs of your Pass Plus course.
For more information on any of the above or to discuss the benefits of Pass Plus in more detail, contact a member of the team at Adams Driver Trainer today.