The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is offering Scottish drivers between the age of 17 and 24 a refund for the cost of an advanced training course if they pass.
The four part course offer is part of a promotion in the Scottish Borders and it being sponsored by Scottish Borders Council (SBC), and once the driver has passed, the course fee of £149 is refunded in full.
Pat Doughty, IAM operations director, said: “The course not only helps improve their skills and anticipation, but also confidence, which means driving can be a more enjoyable experience.”
The scheme, which began earlier this year and is supported by former British Touring Car champion John Cleland, aims to cut the number of serious injuries and deaths involving young drivers on the region’s roads.
It has attracted interest from other councils in Scotland, which are keen to start a similar scheme.
The IAM is fully committed to initiatives that reduce the number of injuries and deaths of young people on the roads.
In 2013, 876 young men and 414 young women were killed or seriously injured (KSI) as drivers between the ages of 17 and 24 in Britain.
While these are the lowest ever KSI figures recorded in Britain in this category, the IAM feels these figures are still completely unacceptable with new drivers far more likely to cause their passengers’ death than any other age group.
New drivers and their passengers also have far more life changing catastrophic crashes with lifelong injuries than any other age group.
The next scheduled start dates for the course are Tuesday 10 and Sunday 15 March 2015, with other dates available throughout the year.