Pass-Plus
Pass-Plus is a six hour driving course designed to safely introduce newly qualified drivers to the extra-realities of driving.
Although, in some respects, a driving licence is hard to obtain, a newly qualified driver may be seriously lacking in experience of certain types of road and traffic conditions.
For example, residents of Inner London may never have driven at 60mph on a rural single carriageway (statistically the most lethal roads), and will certainly never have experienced driving at 70mph on a motorway.
Therefore the Pass-Plus scheme has been designed by the D.S.A. (Driving Standards Agency) to give structure to post-test tuition.
The course contains six driving 'modules'.
- Inner-city roads
- All-weather driving
- Night-time driving
- Rural roads
- Dual-carriageways
- Motorways
Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate which may entitle you to a significant discount on your first insurance policy.
Advanced Driving
The two major advanced driving organisations in the country are:
I am a full member of both organisations.
The IAM and RoSPA are run by volunteers. If you become an associate member you will be required to attend a series of observed drives. If your driving is up to standard you will then take a 90 minute test with a policeman/former policeman. They are both really great organisations, and I would strongly recommend joining to all those who REALLY enjoy driving.
If you have only just passed your test, consider getting 6 to 12 months experience before joining. You must read and digest THIS book:
The IAM regularly organise driving trips, skid pan experiences and track days. They currently have about 130,000 members nationwide. Passing the test will also entitle you to insurance discounts, as the chances of you having an accident AFTER the extra training are greatly reduced.
The RoSPA test is the more rigorous of the two, and you will be graded (I achieved a Silver). Also, in order to remain a full member of RoSPA you will be retested every 3 years.
