When I was a young man many many years ago most adults could not afford to buy and run a car, let alone 17-year-olds, and most of us made do with little 125cc two-stroke BSA Bantams! You cannot do much damage to either yourself or anyone else on a little bike like that so insurance was not much of an issue; but times have changed and we are a lot more affluent so a very large number of young people under the age of 21 can now afford to buy a car. Whether or not they can afford to insure it is a different matter; an insurance premium of £3000 or so for a year's cover is enough to bring tears to the eyes of the most hardened reprobates!

No one under the age of 21 will be able to get truly cheap car insurance; this has to be accepted right from the start. It is possible however to greatly reduce premiums by going about it the right way, and that is to show to the insurance companies that you are not in any way shape or form as much of a risk on the road as all the others in your age and experience bracket. And, a bad bracket it is to be in; a young driver under the age of 21 has approximately a 1 in 5 statistical probability of having a serious accident this year!

The reasons why most youngsters have road accidents are twofold; lack of experience and surplus of adrenaline. We cannot do much about the second item but the first one shows a little more promise and to start with it would be a very good idea for any new driver who has passed the driving test to continue with lessons and take a Pass Plus course. This is an additional training course which teaches new drivers how to cope with the more difficult driving conditions which are a part of every day motoring such as driving in bad weather, on motorways, at night, through crowded city centres etc and not only will the course teach you how to be a better motorist it could well save you a great deal of money on your insurance premium; some companies offer up to 30% discount off a premium for young drivers who have successfully completed a course. It doesn't come free; expect to pay anywhere between 150 and 300 UK pounds but since this is a government sponsored initiative a number of local authorities are co-operating with the Ministry of Transport by offering subsidies to those who qualify; so if the money is a problem you could be well advised to ring your local town hall and ask if they will help out.

There is another benefit to taking the Pass Plus course; your own self preservation. A truly dreadful number of young drivers are killed or seriously maimed in car accidents every year and the majority of these accidents would not have occurred if the drivers had gained more experience and tuition. You may feel that you owe it not only to yourself but to your family and friends also to do everything you can to ensure that you do not feature in these grim statistics in the future.