News : Cheshire’s young drivers could slash their car insurance

05/01/2010

Young drivers aged 17–25 across Cheshire can get up to £100 off an advanced driving course, and in some cases not have to pay a penny; which will help them improve their driving skills, potentially slash their insurance premiums and help make the region’s roads safer.

Pass Plus, which is being subsidised by the Cheshire Safer Roads Partnership, is a training course aimed specifically at new drivers and has been designed by the Driving Standards Agency with the help of insurers and the driving instruction industry. The course aims to build on existing skills and knowledge, teaching young motorists how to anticipate, plan for and deal with all kinds of hazards, and can help them become more confident on the roads. Pass Plus is made up of six modules:

driving in town
driving in all weathers
driving on rural roads
driving at night
driving on dual carriageways
driving on motorways

Lee Murphy, Cheshire Safer Roads Partnership manager, said: “We are delighted to be offering Pass Plus to young motorists across Cheshire. It’s a sad fact that almost 40% of those killed or seriously injured on our roads are aged between 17–25. With Pass Plus, we hope that young people will be able to develop and improve their driving skills and abilities to help avoid becoming a statistic. The additional benefit is that by taking the Pass Plus course, they will be able to make significant savings on their insurance costs, which would more than cover the cost of the course.”

Anyone who holds a full UK licence is eligible to take part in the scheme. You will not have to take a test at the end of the course, but you will be continually assessed. You must successfully complete all the modules in the course to an achieved or exceeded standard.

To find out more about Pass Plus, or to register for the scheme, email your details (name, address and contact number) to:

Cheshire East: Roadsafety@cheshireeast.gov.uk
Cheshire West & Chester: Roadsafety@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk