Since the advent of the internet, defensive driving courses have been much easier to access.  Gone are the days of searching through the phone book for a driving school, investigating each option and trying to make an informed decision.

Internet defensive driving courses have changed all that.  Potential driving students simply log on to their favourite search engine, type in their location and “defensive driving courses” or “driving schools”, and wait for a list to display.  Most online traffic schools provide courses which can be taken online, with only a computer and browser required.  Learning and testing is done online in the comfort of your own home, at a time suitable to busy schedules.  What could be more convenient?

This interesting article by Michelle Groh-Gordy explains:

Why Traffic School?

Through the Internet and through classrooms across the United States, drivers are enrolled in traffic school, also known as defensive driving. Though this is a course that does focus on the vehicle operation safety, it is not the same as a driver’ education. Driver’s education, or driver’s ed, is a course required of new drivers in order to issue them a license to operate a motor vehicle for the first time. Over the course of a lifetime, an individual might enroll in several traffic school courses, which will remind them of safety measures and traffic laws as well as provide them with current information about new laws or regulations. Many courts offer relief from a fine or other traffic violation penalty through the enrollment and passing of a traffic school course.

Privately owned and operated traffic schools are most common in jurisdictions within the United States. These traffic schools must have approval from their state in order to eliminate citations for vehicle moving violations. This is the number one reason for attendance in traffic schools. For most non-alcoholic violations, the court will allow a defendant to take a traffic safety course and expel the citation from their record completely. Of course, the specifications and protocol for removing a citation from an individual’s record may vary depending on the location of the violation or even the residence of the violator.

There are a number of advantages to traffic school courses versus paying off the fine. The biggest reason for many enrollees is to save money on the fine. Many courts will reduce the fine or only require court costs on a moving violation if the individual passes a traffic school course. However, this is not the only reason to consider. Keeping traffic violations off of one’s traffic record will impact insurance rates. The more citations an individual receives, the higher their insurance premium will be. In the long run, the cost of a traffic school course and court costs will be well worth the change in an insurance premium. Having a clean driving record is also beneficial for getting a job that requires the driving of company cars or transportation of goods.

Today, taking a traffic school course is extremely easy, with the help of the Internet. Online traffic schools have exploded in popularity, giving people the freedom to take a course at their own pace, at their one convenience, and in the comfort of their own home. Now there is almost no excuse not to take a traffic course instead of keeping a citation on your record. It is easy, convenient, and can even be a fun, and there is never any harm in learning how to be safer while operating an automobile.

About the Author: M. Groh-Gordy is a former high school and college teacher and long time traffic school owner: (1994-1999) The Really Classy and Cheap Comedy Traffic School and (1998-Present) InterActive! Traffic School Online.