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How to Teach Pass Plus a Guide for ADI’s
Who can teach Pass Plus
Any approved driving instructor (ADI) providing they register for Pass Plus with the DSA and buy the Pass Plus pack from them. PDI’s can’t register for Pass Plus.
- It costs:
- £37 to register
- £29 for subsequent refill packs
To register select: https://www.gov.uk/pass-plus-approved-driving-instructor-services
The Pass Plus course can be done anytime, but it’s mainly aimed at new drivers in the first year after passing the driving test.
Pass Plus consists of six modules about driving in different conditions:
- Town driving
- All-weather driving
- Out-of-town and rural roads
- Night driving
- Dual carriageway driving
- Motorway driving
At the start of the course you should properly brief your pupil about the Pass Plus modules, what the procedure will be and each module plan. Pass Plus training should take at least six hours, though it could take longer if you deem it necessary.
The training sessions: Pass Plus is a practical course and all modules should be practical sessions. Local conditions and time of year may mean that some modules need to be given as a theory session. A theory session could be given if you don’t encounter bad weather or for night driving in summer. At least 5 ½ hours should be spent in the vehicle.
We recommend you pair modules into 3 x 2 hour sessions or 2 x 3 hour sessions with a coffee break between each module.
Recording the Pupil’s Progress: The instructor should complete a training report form that the pupil should sign and date, when they reach the required standard in each module. To pass the course the pupil will need to reach a satisfactory standard in all the course modules. The pupil will not have to take a test at the end of the course.
At the end of the Pass Plus course: All the six completed modules, dated and signed, should be sent to the relevant DSA department for processing. However, we have a strong suspicion that none of these reports are ever read, and we have been told, that you don’t even have to be a driver to work in the department.
The pupil should get there Pass Plus certificate two weeks after the DSA receive your forms. Your pupil will need this when applying for car insurance discount. They may be able to put the discount on hold for up to 2 years if they don’t have a car at the moment – they will have to check with the insurance company.
The Course: Pair the modules so that you can do the syllabus in three two hour sessions. Below is our suggestion, but you can come up with your own combination-depending on the skill of your pupil, time of the day etc? The modules can be thought in any order and need not follow the order suggested by the DSA:
The Pass Plus course should be an extension of what your pupil has already done on driving lessons prior to taking their driving test. So it would be idea if you start each session recap on the relevant bits already covered.
Dual carriageway and motorway driving:
Take your pupil on to fast, multi-lane roads like the A3 and M25 (or similar such carriageways). Get your pupil to practice the two second rule and point out the dangers of tailgating. Teach them to overtake and come back into the left-hand lane safely (check there interior mirror and when you can see the vehicle overtaken it’s safe to return to the left-hand lane).
Also get the pupil to practice:
- approaching the motorway: observation, speed, indication and joining;
- how to drive on the motorway: lane etiquette, observation, seeing and avoiding incidents, changing lanes, speed and indication;
- how to leave the motorway: preparation, observation, indication, signalling, speed and safety;
- Motorway entry and exit and service stations
Emergency safety: what to do and how to be safe in the event of a breakdown or accident
Direct your pupil to Central London; this will cover how to deal with traffic, complicated junctions and traffic systems. How to find parking spaces, about congestion charge, red routes, bus lanes…
On the return journey try not to give them direction let them navigate their own way back. This exposes them to a different style of driving, teaches them to navigate, read signs and revise plans.
Try to make this your last lesson of the day so by the time your pupil gets back it’s reasonably dark and he/she can see how things look different in the dark when they are driving.
There are lots of country roads in Epsom, Cobham etc. Which harbour all kinds of hazards, from sharp bends and potholes to farm vehicles and animals in the road? The bends around these areas are ideal for practising using “limit points” and where to position vehicles approaching left and right hand bends.
While you may not be able to simulate adverse weather conditions, you should give your pupil guidance on how to drive in every kind of bad weather, from heavy rain, to deep snow, and light mist to fog, sleet and ice. You’re pupil should know when to use fog lights and how to drive in low gear in sub zero weather conditions.
It’s a good idea to reward your pupils with a free drive when they have done well on a particular Pass Plus topic or achievement, usually for about 10 minutes. It can take a fair while for them to get over the unusual feeling of being able to “wander at will” on a drive for the first time. You could use this idea on the drive back home; let them choose their own way back providing it doesn’t entail a trip to Brighten en route! They will love the idea.
- Fill the car with fuel & check tyre pressure (if not covered on driving lessons)
- How to change tyre with the spare ( if not covered on driving lessons)
- How to use and park in a multi storey car park and Tesco
- Reverse parking between two cars
Take the pupil on roads routes that they have never driven on before and get them to follow signs for example to Heathrow Airport.
Our Pass Plus course is very valuable to learner drivers and that is why pupils take it. Pupils just need a bit of persuasion as to the merits of the course by YOU – their driving instructor.
