Defensive Driving Course
A defensive driving course is made to help drivers learn new strategies for defensive driving, how to safely drive and how to minimize traffic violations and accidents. The course can be taken online or at a local driving school. An online driving course is focused on written instruction and is likely to use an online driving simulation tool for knowledge testing. A defensive driving course that is conducted in a classroom setting will integrate driving lessons with the use of hypothetical circumstances to test the skills of a driver in defensive driving. A defensive driving course does not only teach and refresh skills in driving but also help lessen the cost of insurance premiums. There are courts that may even dismiss traffic tickets after a completion of a defensive driving course.
If you got a civil traffic moving violation, you can be eligible to take a defensive driving class and have your violation dismissed as provided by Arizona statutes. This class can only be taken for one violation every 24 months. If you select this option, and have eligibility, the violation will not be included in your driving records and you can expect that there will be no points to be evaluated to your motor vehicle record.
Such violation (civil traffic moving violation) is a type of traffic violation that results from driving a vehicle like yield failure, speeding and unsafe lane changes. According to Arizona law, major violations such as reckless driving, driving under influence (DUI) and other criminal violations do not give eligibility for a defensive driving class. This is also true to citations that are issued to a driver as a result of a collision or crash that seriously injured or killed a person. You can expect your citation to have a checkbox which will determine if your offense is civil or criminal. The only criminal offense that could be eligible for a defensive driving class is A.R. 28-701.02 including its subsections (criminal speeding). It is necessary to go to the court and know if this violation is approved for a driving school in the state of Arizona.
Students of a defensive driving course should provide the needed paperwork such as traffic citation and settle the class fee before the class begins. It is important for participants to give proper government-issued driver’s license or identification card and attest to their eligibility to take the course. After an initial evaluation, the defensive driving course will be focused on driver-safety techniques to avoid collisions along with safety margins like acceptable distance to keep from other cars when driving in traffic. It is also likely that drivers will have a review on signals, road signs and tips for highway navigation. At the last part of the course, the instructor will take the students on the road to test other drivers and stress ways to avoid aggressive driving behavior. He may also emphasize tips to merge and exit on the highway and talk about safe driving techniques when operating a vehicle near trucks or bigger vehicles.
Failure on your part to complete the defensive driving class at least seven days before the expected date of your court appearance date will result to the entry of a default judgment along with a suspension of your driver’s license with imposition of another monetary charge.
