Defensive Driving School
Attending a defensive driving school offers a lot of benefits. It does not only improve your driving skills and helps you become a safe driver; you also get practical benefits such as obtaining discount on your insurance premium.
Let’s look at some of the advantages of attending defensive driving school in more detail.
First, you can do away with points getting added to your driving record by simply attending a defensive driving school. According to the National Safety Council, 28 states allow up to three points to be deducted from the total on your driving record if you have received violations within 18 months before course completion.
Having less or no tickets of driver violation significantly affects insurance ratings. The NSC further notes that 34 states offer insurance discounts of up to 10%. Such significant savings should be enough motivation to attend defensive driving school.
More so, choosing to attend a driving school when applicable for your violation is much less hassle than appearing in court to plead your case. You can simply choose a school approved by your state and your citation may be dismissed after you have successfully completed your course. In the process, you learn valuable defensive driving techniques instead of getting a nasty lecture from a judge.
In terms of behavior, attending a defensive driving school can have a significant impact on how you perceive driving. You will be reminded in your class that you have a great responsibility not only to yourself but to the other people around you. Many people who have attended defensive driving schools attest to how it has helped them become less aggressive drivers and train them to properly handle their frustrations on the road.
Defensive driving school puts you in the company of fellow drivers who may have similar experiences and driving problems as you. This provides a good venue for sharing and learning how other people deal with common driving problems and situations. The presence of an experienced and knowledgeable instructor in defensive driving school could also boost driver’s know-how.
Who may be eligible to attend a defensive driving school? States may vary on the specific requirements and violations related to defensive driving classes. You should check with your state authorities on the details.
Here’s an example from the state of Arizona on who are advised to go to a defensive driving school:
• You were cited for any moving civil traffic violation.
• Any violation on your fine/sanction schedule marked by an * is eligible for a defensive driving class.
• You have not attended a defensive driving diversion class in Arizona in the past two years for a violation that occurred within the 24-month period before your current violation.
• The violation for which you were ticketed did not result in the serious physical injury or death of anyone involved.
Arizona also reminds violators not to ignore their civil traffic ticket as failure to resolve this could lead to suspension of license. Drivers are also advised to make sure that a driving school is the most appropriate way to deal with their particular violation. There are certain moving violations that do not result in points on license and the penalty is even less than the cost of attending a driving school.
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