Having to take traffic school because of a violation or to remove points from your license is never a fun task—we’re not going to lie and pretend that it is. It means that you got pulled over for some kind of traffic offense, got a ticket, and are facing potential fines, court fees, and damage to your driving record. This doesn’t even include any damage that may have happened to your car or the fact that a ticket can increase your insurance costs.
There’s luckily a glimmer of hope in taking traffic school, though. Passing a course means that the offense may never go on your record and that you don’t have to worry about points on your license or possible license suspension. It also saves you from higher insurance premiums.
So, you’re now in the position where you just want to sign up and get it done and over with, right? Well, not so fast; after all, not all traffic schools were created equal. If you hop online and search for traffic schools in your area, you could end up with a great one or you could enroll in a terrible one. It’s important to sit down and compare a little before you buy your seat in one.
Additionally, depending on where you live, you may have noticed the option to take traffic school online. That’s right! This exciting prospect also comes with its own complications though, so you should make sure you figure out which one is best for you.
Looking For The Best Online Traffic School? Here Is The Top Rated Course
Ask For Recommendations
Before you get too far into your search, it’s always good to ask for suggestions. Friends, family, and co-workers may have traffic schools that they’ve taken before and felt were effective. Ask them what they did and didn’t like and what the course was like. Additionally, see how long the course was. States usually have some kind of required minimum for traffic school, and most people don’t want to take a course considerably longer than that—why would you?
If you don’t know anyone personally, we encourage you to look through our reviews of online traffic school options. We’ll go through the pros and cons of each for you to decide if it suits you and your needs.
Triple-Check That It’s Approved By Your State
This is a mistake that you’ll kick yourself for later. Before you enroll in a class or purchase an online traffic school course, always be sure to triple-check that your state approves it. If not, you’ll just be wasting your time and money! Both traditional and online traffic schools can be set up by people who simply want to scam you out of money, so you must check both to ensure they can be used towards your traffic violation. Most classes will say this upfront since it’s non-negotiable, so if you have to dig for this information, you’ll likely want to move on to a different class.
Moreover, some states have state-approved traffic schools. If your state requires that you enroll in one, they might have an updated list on their website.
Best to check what your state allows first so that your choices for traffic school (whether online or in-person) are narrowed down.
Comparing Online Versus Traditional (In Person)
Once you’ve gone through some of the preliminary research, you might still be debating between an online school or a traditional one. After all, online traffic school is still a pretty new concept—is it any good?
The answer is a resounding yes. Online traffic school is just as good as regular traffic school, and many would argue it’s even better. Here are a few reasons why:
24/7/365 Assistance
Don’t you hate it when you’re at home working on something, have a question, and have no way of asking someone for help? You’re then essentially stuck and must either wait until you do see someone who can help you or just overlook your question.
A traditional classroom setting might sound nice at first, but the vision of it rarely lives up to reality. You might think of a fun-loving, humorous teacher, and other enjoyable people to chat with during breaks, but often traffic school in person is the opposite—you’ve got a disgruntled teacher who is less than inspiring and a classroom full of other people who just want to get the course done and over with. Not only that, but you’ll likely sacrifice a weekend to take traffic school. Doesn’t sound so great anymore, does it?
Online traffic school removes a lot of the not-so-great things about traffic school and gives you some added benefits. One of those is assistance whenever you need it.
An online course of any type is convenient because it means you can log in and take lessons whenever you have the time. This means you can take a traffic school online that is there to answer your questions any time of the day—whether you’re waiting for dinner to be ready, squeezing a lesson in between shifts, or completing a bit of work before bed. This is the kind of assistance that a typical traffic school course simply cannot offer.
Learn On Your Own Time
As we mentioned, taking an online traffic school means classes are whenever you want them. There’s no need for you to sacrifice a chunk of time on the weekend to get the class done. Instead, you’re given a period of time (usually around 90 days) to complete the class and pass, and that’s it. For people who have demanding jobs, a busy family, or even for those who live far away from where traffic school takes place, this is a far more convenient option.
And if you enroll in a good online traffic school, you can easily stop and start whenever you want. Need to make a quick grocery run? Need to change devices? Just pause what you’re studying and continue when you’re free.
That’s how flexible online traffic school is.
Convenience
This is pretty obvious, but online traffic school is much more convenient than physical classes. Why?
Because you don’t need to go through traffic to attend a class. You don’t need to dress up, bring some books, and mingle with a lot of people. For most people, this is what makes taking a traffic course a lot more bearable.
And as was mentioned a while ago, you get to finish the course on any device. If you need to go out for a drive, you can just listen on your phone. No need to bring your laptop with you at all times.
Some online traffic schools even have phone apps to make the whole experience more seamless. You can just download them for free and log in using your account. It’s that easy.
Another great thing about online traffic school is that your course completion certificate is usually electronically sent to the DMV. No need for you to get it yourself. Sweet!
Practice Self-Directed Learning
If you are self-motivated and able to do work without being told by someone else to do it, you’ll likely love taking an online traffic school course. A traditional course requires your attendance and presses you on important deadlines, whereas an online course leaves it up to you to get the work done.
This is perhaps why online traffic school produces safer drivers than those who begrudgingly attend a course in person. It means that deep down they have the desire to pass and will do what it takes to make it happen. Taking traffic school is not necessarily the most enjoyable thing in the world, but taking it online gives you the ability to get it done quickly and efficiently when it’s most convenient for you.
More Affordable Rates
Lastly, online traffic schools are more affordable.
If you’re already annoyed with the fact that you have to pay administration fees, court fees, and a fine, then you’re not going to want to pay a large price for a traffic school course that’s just going to last a few hours. It’s the same content anyway.
Besides, why pay for something expensive when you can get it for a cheaper price? It just doesn’t make any sense.
This is yet another reason why online traffic school is the best. Most schools’ online traffic course is priced at least a third cheaper than their classroom counterparts. And a lot of online traffic schools have discounts, too!
Some also have freebies like electronically sending your course certificate. This alone is a great plus since it removes the hassle of having to do it yourself. It saves you gas and time.
Just think about all those things that you’ll be able to save and you won’t see any bad reason not to take an online traffic course.
Conclusion
Having to attend traffic school is an inconvenience. But the best you can do is to attend an online traffic school where you pay just a third of a classroom course’s price, be able to stay at home, and learn at your own pace.
While it doesn’t take away the hassle of having to attend it for a few hours, the whole experience will be less of a hassle than when you attend a physical class.