New research suggests that the Pass Plus test does not improve road safety. The Pass Plus is a course designed to make newly qualified drivers safer on the road. Its aim is to advance skills learnt whilst learning to drive and includes sections on motorway driving and driving at night. However, a report by Sky news claims there is no firm evidence that the course improves safety.
One in five newly qualified drivers crash in the first six months after passing the practical test, whilst 70% report having near misses. Last year 74,000 newly qualified drivers spent up to £180 each on the Pass Plus driving course. It was launched in 1995 to try and reduce the high accident rate amongst newly qualified drivers and is widely promoted to all such drivers. But the DSA has now dropped claims that the course can reduce accident rates after being warned there was no hard evidence to back them up.
Of course one of the benefits of taking the Pass Plus and, to many, its key selling point was that car insurance companies would offer a Pass Plus certificate holder a reduction on their car insurance of up to 25%. Given the high cost of insuring newly qualified drivers such a discount was a very attractive incentive and often made the Pass Plus a wise investment. However, given the doubts over how effective the Pass Plus is the insurance industry is starting to withdraw the discount.
Admiral Insurance has already abandoned the discount. It analysed more than 4,000 claims involving young drivers and found no evidence that the Pass Plus makes a young driver any safer and less likely to have an accident in the future.
The DSA has responded by saying ‘Post test training builds upon existing skills and knowledge and gives new drivers additional experience to help them drive more safely in a variety of driving conditions. New drivers who have taken the pass plus tell us that it improves their driving skills and confidence on the road and major insurance companies offer discounts to drivers who have taken Pass Plus precisely because they believe that the scheme improves drivers’ ability.’
If the Pass Plus has a flaw, and the evidence suggests it has, it is that those who take the course are the young drivers who are already the most responsible and safest new drivers. If the course was to be really effective it would need to be a compulsory part of the learning to drive experience.
