The Pros and Cons of Online Driving School

May 31, 2012

If you are planning to take an online driving school course, there are pros and cons for taking one online.

Pros

  • Online traffic schools provide the convenience of to completing the course in the comfort of your home at a time that is convenient for you
  • It won't be necessary to drive or find transportation to a traffic school. You save money on transportation costs, avoid the stress of trying to arrive on time and trying to find a parking space. It will also save time because you won't need to schedule travel time
  • There is no need to be concerned about your appearance. You can complete the course in comfortable clothing without concern
  • If you have small children, you won't need to get a babysitter. You can complete it while the children are sleeping
  • You can complete the course working at your own pace, without being rushed through it
  • Taking the course online will avoid distractions you would have by taking it in person. Other students can often be annoying and disruptive, or make you feel uncomfortable. You will be able to concentrate and take breaks whenever necessary
  • Online traffic schools provides necessary courses for people in areas where it may be difficult, if not impossible, to attend a traffic school in person
  • Online traffic schools are often approved by the local motor vehicle department and courts, just as the traffic schools that require attendance in person

Cons

  • If you do not attend a traffic school in person, you don't have the advantage of interacting with the instructor and other students. Often, related subject matter or questions are brought up that will enrich lessons and make them more relevant and interesting.
  • You can't hear the opinions and classroom discussions that occur when a group of people are attending the class together. Such discussions often enhance understanding and bring up points that would otherwise be missed. Others often bring up ideas that lead to more thought on a subject.
  • You don't have the advantage of being able to ask questions directly to the instructor if you needed further explanation or if you don't understand a lesson completely.
  • If you are not a self-directed learner, you may have difficulty taking a course that requires independent learning. Some people need the classroom environment for motivation and better understanding, rather than working alone.
  • When a traffic school is located in your area, the instructor is familiar with local traffic situations and can make the lessons and discussions relevant to local driving and safety

An online driving school may seem advantageous for you, but it is important to consider both the pros and the cons of completing such a course. Your driving safety is of paramount importance and should not be taken lightly. If your learning style is more successful in person, this should be a serious consideration when making your final choice.

Common Online Traffic School Difficulties

An online traffic school offers you the convenience of completing necessary traffic school courses from the comfort of home. You are also given a login ID to resume the course multiple times. In addition, some courses provide a money back guarantee if the course content doesn't match personal requirements. Although these facts make online traffic schools highly credible, applicants often come across several difficulties when taking an online course. While these difficulties may not be regarded as disadvantages, applicants should bear these difficulties in mind before enrolling at an online school.

  • They must be DMV certified or court approved.Several applicants complete the online course only to find out the school that issued a Certificate of Completion isn't court approved. Since online traffic schools don't refund application fees once the course is completed, it's advisable to bear this mind before enrolling at any school
  • Some don't issue the Certificate of Completion on time.If the court ordered you to attend traffic school, supplying the Certificate of Completion is your responsibility, not the school's. In addition, certain schools ask applicants to call and provide their social security number in order to issue the Certificate of Completion. They also may ask for an additional fee to mail the Certificate of Completion to the applicant
  • You may not have your questions answered promptly.It's important to register with online schools that offer 24/7 customer service
  • Some course have hidden fees.These hidden fees aren't revealed at the time of registration. Read the fine print. Applicants are often taken by surprise when they aren't aware of these terms and conditions
  • Online performance can be erratic.You may come across issues while viewing videos online, so online courses may not be ideal for those with older hardware
  • Some online schools are scams.Since there are several online scams perpetrated by unscrupulous companies, it's important to verify site security before typing personal and credit card information
  • Some schools require you to attend a walk-in final exam. Such conditions should be determined before making online payments towards the course

Before selecting any traffic school to register with, it's advisable to research websites and read traffic school reviews. Since some specialty traffic schools are expensive, it's beneficial to read reviews and find out if the course is really worth the money spent.

3 Online Driving Schools with the Highest Success Rates

There are many schools providing this service, but only a few of them are recommended by the experts. The judgment is based on statistics accumulated over a period of time and the response from the people who have taken the course.

  • GotoTrafficSchool.com.One of the best California online driving schools, GoToTrafficSchool.com is also one of the cheapest and the most affordable ones. This school offers driving lessons through e-books and high definition videos
  • I Drive Safely.The best thing about I Drive Safely is that it is very professional. Apart from the usual material provided by all websites, it also offers innovative, interactive mechanisms to test the skills of the person undertaking the course. The advantage this provides is new rules can be incorporated very easily, which takes time in those offering video lessons. Also in the list of services provided are the customer support systems to assist students with additional questions
  • GetDefensive.com. Defensive driving lessons are very important and GetDefensive.com offers an affordable and convenient method to undertake them. Special emphasis is made on making the training more interactive and interesting, assuming that most of the people who undertake it are defaulters. High definition videos along with animations adorn the website

3 Benefits of Online Traffic School

Online traffic schools can be an excellent way to clear driving records and to lower insurance premiums, and they can help to give you a leg up on your driving abilities.

Online Traffic School Helps to Clean Your Record
Online traffic schools, like other kinds of driver education programs, can help to reduce the number of points on your driving record or to completely wipe your record clean of one or more driving infractions. This is not guaranteed, and the exact stipulations of this depend upon your state and on the type of violation that you've committed. However, the successful completion of a traffic school program before you commit a violation does not preemptively remove a later offense from your record. Many people opt to wait until they are forced to take a driver education course as part of a penalty in order to enroll in the online traffic school program of their choice.

Online Traffic School Is a Good Refresher Course
Some people who enroll in online traffic school programs don't do it because they are required to as a result of committing a traffic offense of some kind. Rather, many drivers simply wish to refresh their memories about the rules of the road in their state or jurisdiction, or to learn some of the latest techniques in defensive driving.

Insurance Rates May Lower
Many insurance companies reward good drivers who have completed education programs with lowered premiums on their auto insurance. This does vary according to the insurance company, so you're best off checking in with your provider before enrolling.

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