Government plans to cut sky-high insurance premiums for young drivers are unlikely to have much impact, the industry said last week.

Ruth Kelly, the transport secretary, met insurance firms to discuss a new foundation course in safe road use for under-17s. It will be piloted in schools and colleges in Scotland from this autumn, and will lead to a qualification that will be available across Britain from 2010.

The government hopes that the qualification will lead to drivers being offered a 25% discount, saving about £400 on the typical £1,600 annual premium for under-21s.

Road deaths and serious injuries have fallen 33% since the mid-1990s, but the casualty rate for young drivers has not changed. One in five people have an accident within six months of passing their test, and another 70% report near-misses in the same period. Newly-qualified drivers and their passengers account for one in five of all UK car deaths.

However, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said no agreement had been reached about the level of discount on offered for drivers qualified under the new regime — if any.

Malcolm Tarling of the ABI said: “It is by no means certain that insurers will automatically offer discounts if drivers take these new tests. You can’t make discounts compulsory as this could breach competition law.

“However, if the new tests are proved to reduce the number of accidents, then our members will obviously reflect that in lower premiums.”

There are already additional tests known as Pass Plus, which involve taking an additional six lessons after passing a test. However, not all insurers offer discounts for people who take them.

Pass Plus is taken by almost 200,000 new drivers, costing £171 each, but just 15 out of about 150 insurance providers recognise this qualification. The reductions offered are not standardised and are honoured for one year after completion.

Tracy North of comparison firm Uswitch said: “It is not clear what the benefit will be for people who take these new courses. The current Pass Plus scheme is only recognised by a handful of insurers and none of them are best buys.”

Swinton, for example, recognises the qualification and offers a discount of £108 on its typical premium of £3,469 for an 18-year-old male in London. However, you could get a cheaper deal from Kwik-fit at £2,811.

There will also be an overhaul of the driving test with a syllabus to “ensure more effective and comprehensive training” as well as post-test courses and qualifications to produce safer drivers.

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