The Legal And Insurance Benefits Of Completing A Driver Improvement Course
According to Harvard Business Review, the auto insurance industry is increasingly incentivizing better driver behavior with financial rewards. With this strategy, drivers may be able to reduce premiums while improving their personal safety. On the other hand, insurers benefit by reducing claims and related expenses. Something as simple as a driver improvement course can allow both consumers and major corporations to achieve safer roads with lower costs. A driver improvement course can also have certain legal benefits, especially for drivers facing traffic violations. Motorists who wish to learn more about driver improvement courses may contact experienced traffic law attorneys in Virginia for further guidance. To continue this conversation, consider contacting Driving Defense Law at (757) 929-0335.
What Are the Insurance Benefits of Driver Improvement Courses?
The insurance benefits for driver improvement courses vary depending on each insurance provider. Before attempting to lower premiums with this strategy, consider reaching out to the insurance provider. Alternatively, motorists may review the websites of their insurance providers for more specific information about discounts. According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, it is not possible to gain “driver safety points” and insurance discounts with a single completion certificate. Motorists may need to choose between insurance discounts and driver safety points upon completion of their courses.
How Do Defensive Driving Premium Discounts Work?
According to various sources, driver improvement courses can save motorists up to 10% on auto insurance in Virginia. For many, this means that the course essentially pays for itself within a few months. Over the course of many years, successful completion of a driver improvement course may be able to provide thousands of dollars in savings. Again, this all depends on the specific insurance company and policy. In addition, insurance discounts are only possible for voluntary driver improvement courses. If a motorist is required to take one of these courses due to a court order or DMV hearing, they are not eligible for insurance discounts. Furthermore, insurance discounts may be tiered – and they may only last for a specific amount of time. Based on these varying factors, it may help to speak with both Driving Defense Law and insurance providers to determine accurate insurance benefits of driver improvement courses.
Insurance Benefits for 55+ Driver Improvement Courses
There are separate driver improvement courses for elderly motorists in Virginia. Companies may refer to these as “mature driver courses.” They are reserved for drivers over the age of 55, and they may offer increased insurance benefits upon completion. Often, these insurance discounts provide savings for three years. Again, these benefits only apply to seniors who take the course voluntarily and forgo the safe driving points. Motorists who are over the age of 55 may wish to discuss specific course options alongside traffic attorneys in Virginia.
Indirect Savings Offered by Driver Improvement Courses
Aside from premium discounts, driver improvement courses can offer more subtle cost-saving opportunities. The National Safety Council (NSC) states that defensive driving courses can reduce future traffic violations by up to 70%. With fewer violations, drivers can expect to pay less in fines. The NSC also points out that fewer violations lead to fewer accidents – and this can dramatically reduce insurance premiums. As most drivers know, a collision can increase premiums to a considerable degree. If the statistics show that driving courses reduce collisions, then it is reasonable to expect additional insurance savings.
Legal Benefits of Driver Improvement Courses
Aside from insurance savings, driver improvement courses may also offer certain legal benefits. Those who face traffic tickets and similar penalties may be able to achieve positive outcomes with a relatively straightforward online course. Often, the cost of the driver improvement course is much lower than the potential fines.
Driver Improvement Courses Can Provide Safe Driving Points
Drivers may voluntarily earn safe driving points after successfully completing their driver improvement courses in Virginia. This strategy can help drivers negate future demerit points, and it may allow them to avoid the legal consequences of future violations. A driver could earn five safe driver points after completing their course. This “balance” of five points counts against future demerit points, and it may allow drivers to avoid potential suspensions over a one or two-year period. Remember, 18 demerit points in a year generally leads to a suspended license. Five safe driver points effectively raises this threshold to 23 points. Motorists may also preemptively take driver improvement courses once they get close to the 18-point limit. For example, a driver might accumulate 17 points within 12 months before taking a driver improvement course – thereby reducing their tally down to 12.
Driver Improvement Courses Could Be Required
Although there are numerous benefits associated with voluntary driver improvement courses, some motorists may have no choice but to take them. For example, a driver might be forced to take one of these courses after accumulating too many demerit points within a 12 or 24-month period. After certain violations, the court/DMV may also order drivers to complete driver improvement courses. Often, this serves as an opportunity to address the issue without excessive legal penalties. In some cases, judges may dismiss convictions or tickets after seeing that a driver has completed a DMV-approved course. First offenders are particularly likely to receive this offer from a judge. That being said, some traffic violations are much more serious than others. If a court convicts a driver of a more serious driving offense (like reckless driving in Virginia), it may not be possible to limit legal consequences with a driver improvement course. There are specialized, more extensive driver improvement courses for those charged with reckless driving in Virginia.
Contact Driving Defense Law To Learn More About Our DMV-Approved Driver Improvement Course
While a driver improvement course may have numerous legal and insurance benefits, it is important to note that these benefits depend on the unique circumstances of each motorist. Senior drivers may have distinct insurance benefits to consider, and those facing reckless driving tickets may need more extensive driver improvement courses. These factors highlight the need to receive personalized guidance before signing up for a driver improvement course. To discuss specific circumstances in more detail, consider a consultation with experienced traffic law attorneys in Virginia. Driving Defense Law offers its own DMV-approved driver improvement course, and this law firm may be able to help motorists target their unique needs. Consider calling (757) 929-0335 to continue this conversation in more detail.
