Jeffrey Johnson

Insurance Lawyer

Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...

Insurance Lawyer

Laura Walker

Licensed Agent for 10 Years

Laura Walker graduated college with a BS in Criminal Justice with a minor in Political Science. She married her husband and began working in the family insurance business in 2005. She became a licensed agent and wrote P&C business focusing on personal lines insurance. Laura serviced existing business and wrote new business. She now uses her insurance background to help educate drivers about...

Licensed Agent for 10 Years

UPDATED: Apr 25, 2022

Advertiser Disclosure

It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.

Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident auto insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one auto insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider. Our partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.

Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance-related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.

UPDATED: Apr 25, 2022

Advertiser Disclosure

It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.

Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident auto insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one auto insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider. Our partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.

UPDATED: Apr 25, 2022Fact Checked

Consumers spend hours looking for auto insurance discounts and other ways to save money on auto insurance online but the thought of attending driving school often slips their mind. After all, aren’t you too old to go back to driving school and who wants to sit in class learning what they already know?

The reality however is that everybody can learn something from a defensive driving course and you can even save money on auto insurance premiums by doing so.

Use our FREE quote tool to compare auto insurance rates today!

Who should attend a Defensive Driving Class?

Drivers convicted of a serious traffic violation will most likely be required by the court to attend a defensive driving class but these courses are not just for convicted drivers. Young people most certainly need to attend a defensive driving class but even experienced drivers should refresh their knowledge.

Although driving a car has relatively stayed the same since the Model T there have been many changes to traffic laws, new distractions and improved vehicle technology where attending a defensive driving class can only make you a safer driver.

You might even make some new friends also but stay away from the people with 4 DUI’s or an ankle bracelet on.

How much can I save on auto insurance by attending a defensive driving class?

This is hard to say but a defensive driving course discount can save up to 5% or more on auto insurance premiums. How much will depend on your auto insurance company, where the course was completed and more.

Some auto insurance companies only provide discounts for courses completed through a specific list of schools while others do not provide any discounts.

However the real value is not how much you can save on your existing auto insurance but what you can learn to prevent a future accident and higher rates.

How much is a defensive driving course?

You certainly do not have to refinance your home to take a defensive driving class. These courses are very affordable and often cost less than $100. Some states even have schools where the material is taught around humor making attendance quite an enjoyable experience.

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Can I avoid points on my license by attending traffic school?

Sometime saving money is not enough motivation to enroll in a defensive driving course however when it comes to driver’s license points many drivers quickly opt for the traffic school option. However auto insurance rates can still increase even after you complete a defensive driving class in lieu of pleading guilty for a traffic violation.

While in most cases you will avoid the accumulation of demerit points on your license auto insurance companies base rates on risk and having a traffic ticket on your record is enough to classify you as higher risk than a driver with a clean record.

The DMV and auto insurance companies have 2 separate mandates. One is for public safety and the other is to make money. Never confuse the two.

What auto insurance companies provide discounts for completing a defensive driving class?

There are over 100 licensed auto insurance companies in most states and how much you can save with a defensive driving class certificate can vary. Some insurers provide up to 5% or more in savings while others provide no discount.

You should never choose an auto insurance company simply based on a single discount as there are many types of discounts and even without the defensive driving discount rates can still be cheaper somewhere else.

Finding the best auto insurance rates means comparing companies and finding the best combination of coverage, cost and reputation which can never be limited to whether or not a company offers a single type of discount.

Use our FREE quote tool to compare auto insurance rates today!

Related posts:

  1. What are my Traffic School Options?
  2. How much is car insurance for a Mercedes Benz E Class?
  3. Are you automatically insured when driving someone else’s car?

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Jeffrey Johnson

Insurance Lawyer

Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...

Insurance Lawyer

Laura Walker

Licensed Agent for 10 Years

Laura Walker graduated college with a BS in Criminal Justice with a minor in Political Science. She married her husband and began working in the family insurance business in 2005. She became a licensed agent and wrote P&C business focusing on personal lines insurance. Laura serviced existing business and wrote new business. She now uses her insurance background to help educate drivers about...

Licensed Agent for 10 Years

Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance-related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.