NEWLY-qualified motorists in Worcestershire could be given a £50 incentive to take an additional driving course in a bid to cut road accidents involving young people.

Worcestershire County Cou-ncil is trying to find funds that could be used to subsidise drivers taking the Driving Stan-dards Agency (DSA) Pass Plus scheme. Pass Plus has been operating for 10 years and helps new drivers to gain more experience of driving in towns, in all weathers, on rural roads, at night, on dual carriageways and on motorways, with a qualified driving instructor at their side.

The cost of the course is about £120, depending on the individual instructor, and when it is successfully completed, a driver receives a certificate from the DSA which can be used to secure cheaper car insurance.

Councillor Nigel Knowles raised the issue at the county's full council meeting last week and officers were sent away to try to find funds for the scheme. Eight young people have died in accidents on county roads in the past three months.

"I think the number of deaths involving young people is appalling. The Pass Plus scheme is just common sense and I thought it would be a good idea. We also want to encourage parents to get be-hind it. Anything we can do to alleviate the cause of accidents is good," said Coun Knowles.

According to the DSA, statistics show that new drivers are more likely to have an accident in the first two years of passing their test than at any other time in their driving career.

Charles Morton, DSA registrar, said some parents were already encouraging their children to do the Pass Plus course but the DSA did not always reach its target audience. "There is lots of anecdotal evidence to suggest the scheme helps improve driving and it gives parents peace of mind. There are also significant discounts on car insurance for those who have completed the course."

Herefordshire Council is already providing a £50 contribution towards the cost of the Pass Plus course to people who passed their driving test within 12 months.

For more details on the Pass Plus scheme log onto www. passplus.org.uk