We all celebrate the great day when we can tear up our 'L' plates, get behind the wheel and hit the road on our own.

But that elation of motoring freedom may soon vanish once you discover just how much it costs. However, new drivers can go some way to easing that pain.

Insurance bills can be cut by up to a third if drivers take a Pass Plus motoring course. More experienced drivers can also slash costs through a host of advanced driving courses that build on the skills required to pass their initial test.

As a driver with more than 20 years' experience, I fancy myself as better than a novice, but I admit I have picked up plenty of bad habits along the way.

With this in mind, I took the six-hour Pass Plus course to see whether I could cut the mustard and if the £180 bill made good financial sense.

The unpredictable late spring weather was kind and allowed me to wheel out one of the last 'proper' British cars - my 1968 convertible Sunbeam Alpine.

But Pass Plus instructor Brendon Ladd, 52, of the Select Driving School in Woodford Green, Essex, was in no mood to coo over the chrome and walnut veneer. All he was interested in was getting to grips with what goes on behind the wheel.

I was suddenly panicked by flashbacks of blazing family rows when I was first learning how to drive and my father was the instructor from hell.

Why on earth was I again subjecting myself to this torture? Ladd, with 30 years' experience as a police driver, admits nightmare teaching experiences are a key reason why few motorists are eager for more lessons after passing their tests.

'Nerves is one of the biggest problems for the initial driving test, but taking Pass Plus is a different experience,' he says.

'We cannot take away your licence, but we are here to help further develop driving skills in a friendly way.' That helps me relax, but not too much as an ex-policeman is still sitting beside me watching every move I make like a hawk.

He says nothing after an initial spin around the north-east London suburb of South Woodford, but then takes over the driving to show me his technique and where I am going wrong. Ladd then concentrates on my good points - great awareness about what is going on around me and not just immediately in front, plus good use of mirrors.

Ladd uncannily knows that I have experience as a motorcyclist, which is great for motoring skills. If you do not look around when on two wheels in London, it is only a matter of time before you have an accident - possibly a fatal one.