Passing your driving test is the great day when you can finally tear up your “L” plates and get behind the wheel of your car on your own. However the elation of motoring freedom may soon disappear once you find out how much it actually costs. However for new drivers there is a way on how to ease the pain of the costs.

Insurance bills can be reduced by up to a third if you were to participate in a pass plus motoring course. Also more experienced drivers can also slash their own costs by enrolling on to a host of advanced driving courses that build up on the skills they required to have to pass their initial driving test.Many traditional driving schools offer a wide range of advanced courses to improve motoring skills and could be a way to save you money on insurance premiums Kelly Ostler-Coyle, a spokeswoman for the Association of British Insurers, said that:

“Anything that helps makes you a better driver is always a good thing. Advanced motoring courses have the added bonus of sometimes lowering insurance premiums. However, not all insurers take these qualifications into account, so it is vital to shop around.”

Many of the types of the courses include:

Pass Plus, this is usually the test that many young drivers take, this is because they cause the vast majority of accidents in their first year of driving. And are usually the one in five motorists that are involved in accidents. Pass Plus is a Driving Standards Agency scheme that can be taken within a year of the driving test so it does not matter what age you are. It costs between £120 and £180 with at least six hour-long lessons covering town, all weather, motorway and night driving. At the end of the course you get a Pass Plus certificate new drivers may be able to cut insurance premiums by up to a third.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists:, they are the UK's leading road safety charity and they are focused on raising motoring standards through its Advanced Driving Test. They offer drivers a £99 package, it is £79 for those who are aged 25 or under and their course involves eight separate hour long lessons to prepare for a one-off pass or fail test.

Rospa , which stands for The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, is another charity that is focused on saving lives by lowering accident rates out on the roads of the UK. They are similar to the Institute of Advanced Motorists, and offers an advanced test after a series of lessons, which are often provided free by local club members. Joining the society typically costs £25 and the car test is £48. Motorists however must be able to prove their driving ability in a range of areas from control to hazard perception and pass in bronze, silver or gold ability.

A more stringent driving test than the traditional ones is the Diamond Advanced Motorists. The traditional learners' test allows you to make up to 15 minor errors in 35 minutes, whereas the Diamond test allows you to make only six minor faults in an hour and the test covers a variety of road conditions. It covers all the syllabus of the Driving Standards Agency and is of driving instructor standard. Motorists must arrange their own lessons before the £58 test.

A toughening up of the driving test is planned by the Government, but already the average learner pays out £1,337 before passing, according to a comparison website This includes £50 for a provisional licence, £30 for the theory test and at least £56.50 for the final practical test - plus between 30 and 40 lessons at more than £25 an hour. Pass Plus can add an average £171 to this bill.

But despite the promise of a Pass Plus certificate slashing up to a third off insurance premiums, not all insurers take it into account. Young male drivers have the most to gain from Pass Plus, paying the highest premiums. A 17-year-old can pay £3,462 for fully comprehensive cover for a Ford Focus, according to the AA, while a 30-year-old pays only £278. A 17-year-old female driving the same car would pay £1,810 compared with £263 for a 30-year-old. But there are other ways in which you can cut car insurance premiums. So it is vital to shop around.