As you begin to shop around for a traffic school course, you’re probably looking for the least painful option possible. You just want to get it done and over with, right? Mostly this is true, but there are a few things you should look out for to ensure you enroll in the right traffic school for you.
State Approved
This is a no-brainer. If the traffic school isn’t approved by the state, then it won’t help you at all, and you’ll just end up wasting precious time and money. Before you purchase and enroll in any course, always check with your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to ensure it’s approved by the state.
Want The FAST Answer? This Is The Best Online Traffic School Course
Hours Required
Let’s face it: no one is exactly excited about enrolling in a traffic school. So when you’re looking for a course, you’re probably pretty concerned with how much of your time it will take up. A good traffic school class will not take any longer than the minimum required amount of time, as listed by your state. Unless you particularly want the extra work, look for a course that gets the job done in the required amount of time and nothing more. Beyond that, you’re wasting some of your own precious time.
Cost
Cost is an important one and certainly a deal-breaker for many. If you’re faced with paying the fine of a ticket or paying for a course that costs considerably more than that, you’ll probably be tempted to just cave and pay the fine!
Every state is going to be different, so it’s important to your wallet to shop around—literally. Gather information from 15-20 traffic schools and see what the median cost is. Any schools that fall drastically below this number or end up incredibly above it are probably not good choices.
Additionally, don’t forget to factor in the unforeseen costs. If you need to drive an hour and back to school, include gas as an expense as well. A slightly more expensive course that is right around the corner from your house could end up cheaper than one that is priced less than forty miles away.
Curriculum
Any traffic school will go through the following:
- Defensive driving techniques. These are good reminders to help you become a safer driver when you’re behind the wheel. It will teach you how to anticipate issues, stay focused, and handle well in any situation despite saving time, money, and lives.
- State traffic laws. Traffic laws vary slightly by state, and it’s always helpful to get a reminder of what is and is not okay where you live. Sometimes we develop bad habits as drivers, and this will get those out of your system.
- Tips to become a safer, more responsible motorist. It’s a sobering reminder: driving is inherently dangerous. In 2013 alone, over 30,000 fatal car accidents occurred in the United States alone. Human error plays a big part in car accidents, and traffic school will give you tips to improve your driving skills.
Scheduling
It’s also important to take a look and see how traffic school will fit into your schedule. This isn’t a requirement per se; instead, it’s simply what makes the most sense for you.
Traffic schools often take place on Saturdays to accommodate working adults who have regular 9-to-5 jobs. Whether you hold a non-traditional job that requires work outside of the typical Monday through Friday or if you freelance, you have to decide if you’re willing to sacrifice your weekend. It’s because of this that many people are now turning to online courses to complete their traffic school requirements.
As long as you can consider yourself a self-motivated person who will truly sit down and put in the work, an online traffic school course is a perfect option for busy lives. It allows you to log in and take the course at your own pace and based on when you have the time to do it.
The most important qualification here is that your state allows you to take an online traffic course. Not all states do, and you want to make sure you enroll in a course that is approved by your state. Take a look at your state’s requirements for traffic school.
Customer Reviews
An honest and real-time opinion about the course based on first-hand learning experience – that’s what you’ll find by simply reading customer reviews. Although we cannot say that this source of information is entirely from a “professional” perspective, since it’s highly possible to be influenced by personal biases, you’ll at least get a general insight if a school’s previous students are satisfied with the course or not.
Most reviews will point out how easy it is to complete the course and to navigate the school’s educational platform. But some will go into detail, explaining their entire experience while completing the course.
Meanwhile, unsatisfied customers will directly point out what went wrong – they could point out the existence of unreliable information, errors in presentation, like grammar and spelling, outdated content, system glitches, or problems with certificate delivery. Whatever that is, you will get an idea of what to expect if you take the course. You can also check how immediate their customer response is when it comes to handling customer concerns.
Customer Support
Customer support is always an essential consideration in any online business platform, more so if you are a student who wants to complete the course at your own pace. Just imagine not being able to get into the course because of system login issues in the middle of the night, and you have no one to get help from. How frustrating that can be, right?
Having dedicated customer support service that you can rely on 24/7 is definitely ideal. If they have live chat support, that’s even better, because you’ll get an instant response to your inquiries.
Make Sure It Suits Your Needs
Determine if the traffic school you’re looking at will actually help you and your situation. There are a number of different reasons to be looking at traffic school, including:
- Dismissing a traffic ticket. Minor driving offenses may be forgiven, per a court order.
- Avoiding more driving record points accumulating on your license. After a certain number of points end up on your license, you risk having it suspended.
- Lowering car insurance premiums. Each insurance company will be different, but many offer some kind of incentive for those who make the effort to be safe drivers.
- Removing existing points from your driving record. If you begin to near the maximum number of points on your license, you may be able to make a case to allow you to take traffic school and reduce it.
- Reinstating your suspended driver’s license. Passing traffic school will demonstrate that you are willing and able to be a much safer driver on the road.
- Earning a car insurance discount. You may be able to redeem some kind of one-time discount with your insurance company, lowering your overall insurance costs.
Every situation is different based on the state, so it’s important to know the requirements where you live. Find your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles website here to learn more.