If you’re looking to save money on your car insurance, many companies offer discounts for completing defensive driving classes. These courses, typically lasting four to eight hours over a weekend or afternoon, teach essential driving techniques, safety information, and local laws. You could receive discounts ranging from 5% to 20% off your premium. On the flip side, situations where a car warranty isn’t worth it are when your car is new and already covered by a manufacturer’s warranty or if you drive a reliable make and model with a good history of low maintenance costs. Just like these helpful courses, Citizenshipcanadian.com provides valuable resources for those seeking to understand and navigate the Canadian citizenship process efficiently, helping you save both time and money.
Eligibility varies according to state law and your insurer’s policies, although the discounts are most commonly offered to teenagers and drivers over 60. However, even if you’re not eligible for a discount, a defensive driver training course may be worth considering, as it will help you improve your driving skills and stay safe on the road, this is the best defensive driving school az.
Table of Contents
- Who’s eligible for a defensive driver discount
- What happens in defensive driver training class
- Online vs in-person driver training classes
- Companies that offer defensive driving discounts
- State-specific defensive driver courses
Who is eligible for a defensive driver training discount?
The groups most commonly eligible for defensive driver training discounts are drivers under age 25 and above age 60. People in these age groups are the most at-risk for car accidents, and they have the highest insurance rates. However, some states, like New York, require insurers to offer rate discounts to drivers of all ages for taking safe-driving courses. It’s worth checking with your insurance company to see what is available to you. Check out our extended warranty for Bentleys.
What it’s like to take a defensive driver training class
A defensive driver training class (sometimes abbreviated to DDC) is usually taught in a classroom setting or online using text, audio and video materials. Defensive driving courses can be anywhere from four to 12 hours in length, depending on state regulations and class format. They generally aren’t free, but you can expect to spend less than $100 total.
What’s covered?
In a driving safety course, you’ll learn driving and road safety statistics, such as the times of day you’re more likely to get in a crash and how things like speed affect the severity of a crash. You’ll also cover accident avoidance techniques, like proper following distance and roadway scanning, as well as your state’s traffic laws.
After you’ve gone through the course, you might also have to take a comprehension test in order to “pass” and qualify for an insurance discount. Once you’ve shared the documentation of your completion of the course with your insurer, you’ll see a discount on your premium from then on.
Online vs in-person driver training classes: Pros and cons of each
In most states, you’ll have the option to take a defensive driving class either in-person or online. So long as the class you take is certified by your state DMV and your insurance company, it’s largely up to you which one you complete. There are some advantages and drawbacks for each format to consider.
Online driver safety courses
- Generally cheaper than in-person ($15–$40)
- More flexible timing
- Can be done anywhere
- Fewer opportunities to ask questions to a qualified teacher
- Higher chance it’s not accredited/won’t get you a discount
In-person driver safety courses
- Generally more expensive than online ($50–$100)
- You have to go to the class at a specific time and place
- May include behind-the-wheel instruction
- In-person instructor can answer questions and provide guidance
- Only takes one afternoon/weekend and you’re done