how much does a defensive driving course save you on your auto insurance

Full Answer

How much can you save with a defensive driving course?

Keep reading to learn why you should consider a defensive driving course, how much you can save on your car insurance premium and the best way to choose a defensive driving course A defensive driving course can help seniors and young drivers save up to $61 annually. Some of the insurance companies even offer discounts between 5% and 10%.

Do defensive driving classes reduce car insurance premiums?

Taking a defensive driving class can result in a car insurance discount of 5% to 10%. It can also help to remove DMV points from your record and further reduce your insurance costs. Been picked up for speeding lately, added a teen to your insurance policy or just looking to save a bit of money when it comes to your car insurance premium?

How long does it take to get a defensive driving discount?

In many states, a four-hour course is enough to fulfill the requirement for a defensive driving certificate and discount. After you've completed an approved defensive driving course, your auto insurer may apply your discount for several years.

How much is the insurance discount for a driving course?

Insurers often offer defensive driving discounts for drivers who have completed a course, particularly young and older drivers. While it varies by insurer, expect an insurance discount of 5 to 10% for completing a course.

How much do you save with defensive driving course in NY?

10%New York drivers can take a state-approved defensive driving course to qualify for a 10% insurance reduction that is good for three years.

Does defensive driving course lower insurance in California?

Most car insurance companies offer lower premiums to drivers who attend and complete a defensive driving course approved by the California DMV.

How much is defensive driving Texas?

$25The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) requires all defensive driving courses to cost at least $25. While most courses cost $25, some are more expensive due to in-person instruction, included meals and additional material.

Which online defensive driving course is best?

#1 Defensive Driving Course ProviderIDriveSafely is one of the oldest defensive driving brands in the business. ... IDriveSafely.com has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). ... Take an IDriveSafely Course.Take a DriversEd.com Course.Take a MyImprov Course.Take ApprovedCourse Defensive Driving.More items...•

What age is mature driver discount?

55 or olderWhat are the requirements? If you are 55 or older and have a valid California driver's license, you will receive an insurance discount by completing our 400-minute Online Mature Driver Improvement Course.

How much is mature driver discount?

15%You can save up to 15% on your auto insurance premium as a mature or senior California driver, but exactly how much you save will depend on your insurance company, your driving record, and other factors.

Does defensive driving reduce ticket cost Texas?

Potentially Saves Money: Speeding tickets in Texas can cost a person around $150. If you take defensive driving for a speeding ticket, the court fees will cost you around $100 and defensive driving will cost around $25, saving you around $25.

How long is online defensive driving course Texas?

6 hoursOur Texas online defensive driving course meets the state-required length of 6 hours. You may work through the course all in one day, or spread it out over a longer period of time.

Does defensive driving Remove points in Texas?

Most states allow you take a defensive driving class to reduce the amount of points on your record. In fact, in Texas, if you take a defensive driving class you can completely eliminate the points from a moving violation. As long as the course is approved by the state, you are good to go.

What is the easiest online defensive driving course?

#1: iDriveSafely iDriveSafely is my top recommended easiest online traffic school for 2022. They've been around since before online traffic school even existed.

What is the easiest and fastest online traffic school?

The iDriveSafely online traffic school program has been around for literally decades and they have it down to a science. This is the fastest online traffic school you can take and it has made this list every year including now in 2019.

What is the difference between home study and Internet traffic school?

Traffic School is typically offered in three different ways: An online course you can take from home (the best option) A classroom-based course you need to physically attend (typically takes 8 hours) A home-study course with a physical booklet (requires the purchase of extra materials)

Request a Free Car Insurance Quote to Compare Price and Eligibility

Before we start, it should be noted that everyone should begin this process by requesting a quote with numerous providers. The easiest way to do this is by using a service called Gabi.

Discounts on Auto Insurance for Defensive Driving

Defensive driving discounts offered by insurance companies can vary significantly. Some companies do not offer discounts, while others may offer discounts of up to 20%. Most often, drivers can expect a discount of about 10%. Car insurance companies would always like you to be a safer driver. You should also want this for yourself.

Requirements for Earning Defensive Driving Insurance Discounts

Most insurance companies have specific requirements for earning a premium discount by completing defensive driving. Some may have age requirements. We often see that teen or senior drivers. Your insurer will also typically require that you complete a qualifying defensive driving course.

Defensive Driving Insurance Discount Exclusions

Discounts on auto insurance for defensive driving are not automatic. You’ll need to check your eligibility before enrolling. Again, we emphasize that because you’re attempting to save money it might be time to shop around with a free quote from Gabi to see what else is out there.

Renewing Defensive Driving Insurance Discounts

Once you complete a defensive driving course for an insurance discount, you’ll need to keep up with it. This is not a lifetime discount. Insurance companies want to make sure you’re refreshing your safe driving skill set regularly. Most insurers require that you retake a course every two years.

Shop Around for the Best Defensive Driver Insurance Discounts

As insurance discounts for defensive driving can vary significantly by company, you may find that you’ll need to shop around to find the best rate and discount. One insurer may offer a lower initial rate but not offer a discount, while others may have a higher rate but a better discount, ultimately making your premium lower.

Which Insurance Companies Have the Best Defensive Driver Discounts?

Find out which leading insurance companies offer defensive driver discounts by using the Gabi widget below. Brands compared by the company include some of the most reputable agencies in the business at budget prices. Don’t forget to ask them and see how much you could save just by completing a defensive driving course.

How much discount do you get for defensive driving?

In English, that means they have to give you at least ten percent off for taking a defensive driving course. Some insurers may offer even better discounts in order to stay competitive, but you’re looking at a discount of ten percent from the base.

How long does a driver get a 10% discount in New York?

At least in New York state, where New York Insurance Law § 2336 demands a ten percent discount for three years for drivers who provide proof of having completed a PIRP (Point and Insurance Reduction Program) course through a DMV-approved provider.

What happens if you drive a sports car and have been found at fault in a few accidents?

If you drive a sports car and have been found at fault in a few accidents, you’re automatically going to be paying more than someone who drives a compact and has a spotless record.

Is being a safe driver good?

Added Benefits. It’s not just discounts. Being a certifiably safe driver looks good to the courts if you ever are involved in an accident, and it helps to reduce the chance of getting into an accident in the first place. This keeps your record clean and your insurance premiums low.

What is a defensive driver course?

As I stared at the prompt above on my provider’s Potential Discounts page, the first thing I wondered was:

How long does it take to complete a defensive driver course?

As I discovered next, there are two very different types of defensive driver courses out there:

How much is the discount for taking a defensive driving course?

To get some answers, I rang up my auto insurance provider. Exactly how much could I save with a defensive driver discount, and would it be worth both a $95 check and six hours of my life spent underneath flickering fluorescent lights?

Can you still get an insurance discount by taking a one-hour course?

My provider sounded adamant that they only accepted DOT-approved (i.e., six-hour) defensive driving courses, but that didn’t match up with what I read on DriveSafe’s website.

Overall, I was totally surprised by how helpful a one-hour defensive driving course is

No offense to DriveSafe, or any other driver improvement teacher, but I kind of expected the defensive driver course to be a joke, full of obvious tips like “don’t drive on wet cement” and “don’t lick traffic cones.”

Would my provider actually give me a discount for a one-hour, online-only defensive driving course?

To find out, I emailed my DriveSafe certificate of completion to my provider and held my breath. A week later, this appeared on my dashboard:

Summary

Even if my defensive driver discount wasn’t a lifetime perk, I’d gladly do it again every three years – not just for the savings, but to help me stay sharp on the road.

Defensive driver courses

Defensive Driving Course – Everything You Need to Know https://t.co/fgEF4iCmUz pic.twitter.com/NS54ANGwcv

Discount eligibility

To qualify for the insurance discount, the course you take must be state-approved and accepted by the insurance company. So it is best to confirm before signing up for a course. For example, not all insurance companies accept online courses.

How much can you save?

A defensive driving course gets you a 10% discount on insurance, covering the cost of the course in less than a year https://t.co/zQ0G4Tg17n

Why is there a 10% reduction in defensive driving course cost?

The reason for the 10% reduction in cost is because it is something required by the New York State Insurance Commissioner by law.

How much can you save on auto insurance in New York?

For New York drivers or those with a NY driver’s license, you can expect to save up to 10% on the cost of your auto insurance every month. For some people, this can be a significant amount ...

How long is the insurance reduction of costs valid?

Since the insurance reduction of costs is only valid for three years, if the person who is insured wants to continue with the lowered cost and benefit, then it is essential that the course be taken again and passed. This can be done through an online program as well to help with ease.

Why are some vehicles more expensive to insure?

To put it simply, some vehicles are more expensive to insure because they may be more likely to be driven fast or because they are worth more.

Does the reduction on insurance premium apply to all drivers on the policy?

However, it does not apply to all drivers on the policy if they did not all complete the course. It will only be applied to one driver. If all drivers would like to have the reduction ...

What are the benefits of defensive driving?

“For instance, they can help you keep points from a traffic ticket off your driving record, comply with a court order, and qualify for a car insurance discount .”

What does Musson encourage drivers to do?

Musson encourages drivers to be proactive. “With all the distractions of the holidays and the fact that more people are on the roads, a fresh outlook on safety can help you prevent an accident.”

How to get a defensive driving discount

Since defensive driving can make you safer on the road, many insurance companies will offer a discount for taking a defensive driving course. Each insurer's discount and terms are different, and state regulations can come into play, too. Before you sign up for a defensive driving course, you can do the following:

How do driver safety course insurance discounts work?

Defensive driving is often geared towards younger and older drivers who may have higher car insurance premiums, but a defensive driving discount may be offered to people of all ages. Some states require insurers to offer defensive driving discounts, while others do not.

How to get a defensive driving discount

Most insurers provide a defensive driving discount. To obtain this savings, drivers will need to:

Who qualifies for a defensive driving discount?

Different insurance companies have slightly different rules to qualify for a defensive driving discount. For example, Geico defensive driving discount rules may differ from requirements set by other insurers. So, it's important to check each individual company's requirements.

How much of a discount do you get for defensive driving?

If you're wondering, "What is the insurance discount for defensive driving?" the answer varies by insurance provider. In most cases, motorists will save between 5% and 20% on their insurance premium as a result of earning a defensive driving discount.

Car insurance companies with defensive driver discounts

Car insurance discounts can vary from one company to another. However, most major insurers provide savings for defensive driving courses. Listed below are several major insurers that provide a defensive driving insurance discount.

What is a defensive driving course?

A defensive driving course teaches motorists how to improve driving skills. Classwork focuses on helping motorists learn and apply safe driving strategies.

Other benefits of defensive driving courses

Defensive driving courses don't just help motorists save on insurance costs. Classes also reduce the risk of a collision. And they can make motorists better, safer drivers. An accident can be financially and personally devastating. If a defensive driving course reduces the chances of a crash occurring, motorists are better off.

Additional ways to save on car insurance

When determining how to lower car insurance costs, motorists should look beyond a defensive driving discount. Drivers can also save money by avoiding accidents and maintaining a clean driving history. Shopping around for car insurance quotes can help keep premiums low as well.