Pass Plus Scheme: Refresher Driving Lessons

There’s a growing demand for driving instructors, with online searches for ‘driving instructors near me’ are the highest they have ever been, increasing 94% from 2019 to 2022. We dug deeper into this, and found one in 10 (12%) of millennials asked felt “terrified” about driving and 70% of millennials who only drive a few times a year would consider taking more driving lessons to rebuild their confidence. Nearly three quarters (73%) said they’d ideally have up to five lessons to regain that confidence.
There are a number of ways to build your confidence back up, and the Pass Plus scheme is a great one.

The Pass Plus scheme is a six-hour practical training course designed to improve your driving skills further and drive more safely. You can start the Pass Plus scheme after you’ve passed your driving test.
To complete the Pass Plus scheme, you need to drive in six different situations: • Dual carriageways • Motorway driving • Rural roads • Complicated city situations • All weather conditions • Night driving We’ll cover how to prepare for each of these, further down.

You can only book the course with a Pass Plus registered, approved driving instructor (ADI).
You can check if your instructor meets the qualifications and is Pass Plus approved online or by contacting the DVSA Pass Plus team via email.

The fee for this course varies according to the region you live in. The fee is charged by the instructor or the driving school, and can also be based on how long the lessons go on.
Some local authorities offer discounts of up to 50% for Pass Plus training to residents living in their areas. If you live in the council’s area, then you can be eligible for the discount.

The Pass Plus scheme can help you gain confidence and experience after you’ve passed your test, and learn how to reduce the risk of accidents.
New drivers can face high insurance premiums, as their lack of experience means they’re considered the highest risk group. Many insurance companies offer discounts to drivers who have completed a Pass Plus course, so you could qualify for cheaper premiums.

There’s no test to qualify for the Pass Plus course, which means you won’t fail. You’ll pass the course once you meet the required standard in all modules.
You’ll be assessed throughout the course by your instructor. Once you’ve met the required standard, the instructor will give you a report form, which you and the instructor will have to sign.

About to take your Pass Plus course? Here are our top tips.

On a dual carriageway, the side of the road you drive on and the side oncoming traffic drives on are separated by a raised kerb, barrier or grass patch. Dual carriageways are usually used for shorter journeys and have various junctions, exits and roundabouts. They have a national speed limit of 70mph.
You can enter a dual carriageway using a slip road. Pay attention to your car’s speed; driving too slowly can be dangerous and impact the vehicles around you. Concentrate and keep checking your mirrors and blind spots and use your indicator to signal when you’re joining. Once you’ve joined the dual carriageway, drive in the left lane unless you want to overtake. Pay attention to road markings and signs that signal that the dual carriageway is coming to an end.

Motorways are for vehicles only, so pedestrians and cyclists are not allowed on them. Learner drivers, tractors and slow-moving vehicles are also not permitted to use them, unlike dual carriageways.
You can normally enter a motorway using a slip road or an adjoining motorway. When joining a motorway, check incoming traffic and match the speed of the vehicles so that you join them easily. Slowing down at this moment can be dangerous to you and those around you. Stay in the left lane unless you need to overtake. Unlike dual carriageways, motorways have a ‘hard shoulder’, which is a lane for an emergency stop. You should not drive in the hard shoulder. Keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you, especially when it’s raining or snowing. Learn more about driving in snow You should drive within the national speed limit of 70mph, same as dual carriageways. The exception to this is a smart motorway, which can adjust to speed limit to 60mph, 50mph or 40mph to best manage traffic. Smart motorways use speed limits and other traffic management methods, such as using the hard shoulder as a lane, to reduce congestion and increase capacity. Motorways are usually used for long journeys which can get tiring, so make sure that you don’t start feeling sleepy. Be observant of any exits that you need to take as, if you miss your exit, you’ll need to drive for a long stretch until the next exit. Use your indicator at the first marker to let the vehicle behind you know that you’re about to exit. You may see light signals on the motorway. What the signals mean will be covered in detail on your Pass Plus course but as an introduction: • An amber light flashing is a warning sign for some hazard ahead or indicates bad weather • A red flashing ‘X’ means the lane is shut, so you shouldn’t drive in that lane

Quiet rural roads can be dangerous to drive on, due to the various blind bends, narrow lanes, mud, flooded areas and poor road conditions. With practice, you should become more confident at navigating these tricky roads.
Be careful when driving on narrow roads, as they only allow one vehicle to pass by at a time. To stay safe, drive at a slow speed and use ‘passing places’ to allow the other vehicle to pass. Rural roads usually often don’t have streetlights. Use your headlights at night as the roads can be dark making the visibility low. Be careful of any loose animals, such as a herd of cattle, on the road. Slow down your car and allow the animals to pass by safely. Don’t use your horn as it may scare the animals.

Driving in the city can be complicated because you need to constantly check for pedestrians, cyclists, buses and so on. You can also face heavy traffic as the streets are generally busier, which can make looking out for road signs difficult.
It’s wise to plan your trip ahead and drive when there’s less traffic. This can also help you get a better parking spot. If this isn’t an option, try and remain calm if you find yourself driving in heavy traffic. You should also concentrate more as you need to stay on the lookout for any sudden vehicle movements, or people walking in front of your car. Keep checking your mirrors and leave enough space between you and the vehicle ahead of you for any sudden stops. Remember to check whether there are any congestion zone and ULEZ charges, and pay them if you need to.

Bad weather conditions require you to be even more careful when you’re driving. Ice and snow can make the roads slippery while strong winds can cause havoc on the roads.
This is quite a big topic, so we’ve written a whole guide on it to help you with everything from snow to black ice. Learn more about how to drive in dangerous weather conditions.

Driving at night can be dangerous if you don’t stay fully alert.
Not only does the darkness affect your visibility but the flashing lights from other vehicles can affect your vision as well. Make sure that you don’t look directly at the oncoming vehicles, and follow the white-line markings to stay in your position. Be extra vigilant for any pedestrians or cyclists near your car as they will be harder to see at night. Before you start driving, always make sure that you’re not feeling sleepy and are okay to drive.

If you’ve passed your Pass Plus course, then congratulations!
As we mentioned above, car insurers can look more favourably on those that have passed this course and you could save money on your car insurance as a result. Get a free car insurance quote to see how much you could save.