Driver Improvement Clinic in Virginia

SUMMARY: Virginia Driver Improvement Clinics

In the state of Virginia, a traffic school or defensive driving course is most commonly referred to as a driver improvement clinic. Besides being an accident-free driver, the most effective way to keep your insurance rates low and your driver record clean is to complete a driver improvement course.

Some other reasons to complete a defensive driving course in Virginia include:

  • To fulfill a court requirement.
  • To fulfill a Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) requirement.
  • To earn safe driving points.

Virginia Defensive Driving Course Providers

When choosing a driver improvement course, it is important to make certain that the traffic school you choose is approved and accredited by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

In Virginia, you can complete your course either in person at a commercial driving school or online through an approved provider. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. If you choose to take traffic school in person, it will be presented to you by a qualified instructor in a classroom setting. The benefit of taking this type of defensive driving course is you'll likely complete the course in its entirety in one session.

If you choose to take the course from an online provider, you will still have the option of completing it all at once, but you'll also have the ability to stop and resume the course at your leisure. Many people find the online option to be more convenient, but the options are there for you to choose from.

NOTE: Any non-commercial driver 20 years old or older can take a driver improvement course either in person or online, but if you're under 20 years old, you must take the course in a classroom. You are not eligible to complete the course online.

Defensive Driving Course Details

Virginia traffic school courses are usually divided into separate chapters that teach you the safe driving habits of being a responsible and more defensive driver.

Each chapter focuses on a single subject and cover topics including:

  • Crash prevention.
  • Cost magnitude of traffic accidents.
  • Contributing factors for vehicle crashes.
  • Regulations, laws, and highway environmental factors.

Reasons to Complete Virginia Traffic School

In Virginia, there are many reasons to complete a defensive driving course/traffic school program, including to:

  • Fulfill a VA DMV or court requirement (after receiving a traffic ticket).
  • Dismiss a traffic ticket.
  • Lower your car insurance rates.
  • Earn safe driving points.
  • Improve your driving habits.

Dismiss a Traffic Ticket with Defensive Driving

If you've received a traffic ticket in Virginia, you may generally be able to dismiss it and avoid points being added to your driving record if:

  • You have a valid Virginia driver's license.
  • You were not driving a commercial vehicle when you received your traffic ticket.
  • You haven't previously completed a defensive driving course in Virginia within a set period of time.

The court handling your case may send you a notice to tell you if completing a defensive driving course will dismiss your ticket. Before enrolling in traffic school/defensive driving, check with your local court first to make sure they will credit you for completing the course.

Earn Safe Driving Points with Virginia Traffic School

Safe driving points are assigned for each calendar year that you have a valid Virginia driver's license without any violations or suspensions. In some cases, you may also earn safe driving points by completing traffic school.

Annual safe driving points are awarded each year for the previous calendar year. You can accumulate a total of 5 safe driving points which you may use to offset demerit points.

To check how many points you have on your driving record,order your driving record today!

Lower Your Auto Insurance Rates With Defensive Driving

Completing a driver improvement clinic may also result in a car insurance discount. Check with your auto insurance provider before enrolling in a Virginia defensive driving course to check if you're eligible.

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