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Driving lessons for Christmas

From the Falmouth Packet, first published Friday 16th Nov 2007.

Christmas is fast approaching, and what better present to buy your son or daughter than Pass Plus lessons to help keep them safe when out driving on the county's roads? Not only that, but this is one Christmas present that could end up costing you nothing!

Most young and novice drivers are inexperienced and their reactions may not be as quick as those of a more experienced driver - it takes new drivers up to two seconds longer to react to hazardous situations than more experienced drivers. However, as they gain more driving experience their collision rate begins to fall.

In order to help increase driving experience, and reduce the number of collisions on Cornwall's roads involving young drivers, the Road Safety Unit offer applicants a subsidy scheme to help pay for the lessons. The cost of a Pass Plus course with a Cornwall County Council registered instructor is just £130.00. The subsidy scheme entitles the candidate to contribute £70.00 and the County Council pays the other £60.00 towards the total cost.

And this festive season, that's not all!

In the spirit of goodwill The Road Safety Unit are also running a Christmas prize draw to win a Pass Plus course for free! Candidates who sign up to the scheme and pay their £70.00 by 31st January 2008 will be entered into the draw for the chance to win their course fee back from Cornwall County Council.

Pass Plus is a scheme backed by the Government's Driving Standards Agency and insurance companies to encourage newly qualified drivers to develop safer driving skills. It rapidly increases driving experience - and can decrease insurance premiums!

Pass Plus lessons enable pupils to gain extra experience and learn positive driving skills that would otherwise take a long time to acquire. The course consists of six specially designed training sessions which encompass urban and rural driving, driving in different weather conditions, at night, on dual carriageways and motorways.

If you live in Cornwall and have passed your car driving test within the last year at Penzance, Pool, Bodmin or Launceston then you qualify to apply. Also, if you are a DSA Approved Driving Instructor then you can call the Road Safety Unit to register on the scheme and they'll send business your way!

Tamsin Ferris, Project Coordinator, Road User Awareness said: "One in five drivers crash within their first year of driving, so we are hoping that by making Pass Plus lessons more accessible, and even offering the chance to win the lessons for free, we can reduce the number of young drivers involved in road collisions. It could be the best Christmas present you will ever give a loved one."

For candidates to be entered into the prize draw to win their course fee back they should sign up to the scheme and pay their £70.00 by 31st January 2008. The Pass Plus course must be successfully completed by 31st March 2008 and the winning candidate and their instructor will be informed by the Road Safety Unit no later than 30th April 2008.

For more information about the Pass Plus subsidy scheme, or to register as an Approved Driving Instructor on the scheme, please call Tamsin Ferris in the Road Safety Unit on 01872 327342.

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