What’s the Point of Defensive Driving Courses?

There are a few route options that can take a person to a defensive driving course, some voluntary and others lesser so. Sometimes taking the course can save you money, other times it can save your license. Sometimes it’s for a fleet job, other times it’s on the driver’s own personal volition. 

Regardless of the situation, defensive driving courses provide information and knowledge about driving in the real world to arm people with the skills they need to better avoid risks and accidents. If defensive driving courses have piqued your interest, or you know you want to or have to take one, it’s best to know what you’re getting into, so The Drive put together a helpful guide to explain what they are and why they exist. 

Let’s get started.

The basic idea of defensive driving is using your knowledge and understanding of the rules and risks of the road to proactively protect yourself to help prevent accidents rather than reacting to dangerous situations when they arise.

A defensive driving course is an extracurricular class in which the students learn basic defensive driving skills as a way to improve their driving habits. In some cases the course is voluntary, sometimes it’s required for a job, or other times the course is part of a legal course of action due to a prior event. Defensive driving courses are offered through a host of schools like Skip Barber Racing School, Improv, BestTrafficSchool.com, Traffic101.com, and Radford Racing School, though there are hundreds to choose from around the country. The easiest way to find one that's located near you is through a quick Google search.

The primary reasons people take defensive driving courses include: 

To the common person, no, defensive driving courses are not required. However, depending on where you live, your state might require a person to take defensive driving courses to avoid suspension of a driver’s license, to avoid a traffic ticket, or as part of some other legal ramifications of a driving ticket or infraction. 

In general, defensive driving courses teach students the basics of defensive driving, review state and federal laws, and offer advice for how to better handle sharing the road with other vehicles, motorcycles, cyclists, and pedestrians. They discuss topics such as following distances, blind spots, driving in inclement weather, driving at night, driving on the highway, and much more. 

Below, we have laid out the first two session outlines of a defensive driving course from the National Safety Council’s (NSC) Safety Serve online class.

For more information and the full eight-session outline about the NSC’s defensive driving course, visit Safety Serve.

The NSC’s basic four-hour course costs about $50, but that cost will change depending on where you live and which services you are using. Expect somewhere in the range of $20-100.

Some insurance companies offer the ability to earn a discount by taking a defensive driving course. This not only helps improve your driving, it also shows that you show care and attention to your driving habits. For that, the insurance provider might offer a 10-20 percent discount, depending on the provider. Not all insurance companies will do this, however.

Learn more from this preview about what is taught in defensive driving training. 

You’ve got questions. The Drive has answers!

A: No, they are not. In some cases, a certain course might be able to get you an insurance discount, but it might not be able to help you with ticket dismissal or other purposes. Always do your research and check if a class applies to your specific situation and purpose before paying for and taking the course.

A: In many cases, a defensive driving course will only take a few hours. The NSC course is roughly four hours, but other longer or shorter courses also exist.

A: It’s possible, as every state and course is different, but it’s unlikely. 

A: Many defensive driving courses are offered through simple online curriculum, but it’s also possible to take them in a classroom setting at a driving school.

A: A majority of accidents occur because of six primary decisions people make. Those include speeding, violating the right of way, distracted driving, turning improperly, and driving left of center.