How Frequently Should You Take A Defensive Driving Course?

Here at Safety Counselling, we find ourselves having to answer the frequent question: “How often do you need to take a defensive driving course?” That’s a good question to which there is no one-size-fits all answer.

So the frequency with which you will have to take defensive driving courses is in large part determined by your ongoing record, local regulations around the country and your individual needs.

Here, we will look at how often you should refresh your driving skills and the red flags which suggest that you need a defensive driving refresher.

How Often Should You Take a Defensive Driving Course for a Discount?

The Perfect Interval for Refreshing Your Skills

Defensive driving should be refreshed regularly. We suggest taking a defensive driving refresher every 2 or 3 years. This time frame will keep those skills sharp without clobbering your schedule.

Factors Influencing Course Frequency

There are several things that might determine how frequently you need to take a defensive driving course:

Your driving history: If you have recently received any tickets or have been in an accident, enrolling now is best.

Change of local traffic rules: In many countries states have different sets of traffic laws. An important part of any safety driving course is remaining educated about these changes.

New car technologies: As vehicles continue to evolve, it will become increasingly important to know how to use an automobile’s new safety features correctly.

Age and experience: Teenagers or seniors may need to enroll in more courses than other drivers. Crash rates are higher for young, less experienced drivers compared to older and more experienced counterpart in the United States.

The Benefits of Regular Training

Enrolling in Defensive Driving Courses Regularly Attending defensive driving classes on a ongoing basis has its benefits:

• Skill retention: Consistent exercise enhances your skills when it comes to operating the vehicle. A pretty clear case for extending "driver education" beyond the teenage years. ” About 94% are the result of human error—the need to get back in driver training around age thirty as we have mentioned!
• Savings on insurance: Some insurers provide discounts for taking defense-driving courses. These cheap prices could remain valid for up to 3 years - so it is worth taking a look at resitting the course before the discount ends.
• Point reduction: In numerous states, taking a defensive driving course can result in demerit points being removed from your record. In New Mexico, for instance, points are generally dropped automatically after 12 months from violation date. To get a ticket dismissed, you may use a driver safety course only once every 18 months for one violation but you can take the class more often if necessary to obtain insurance discounts

Tailoring Your Training Schedule

We do recommend a general 2-3 year cycle, but your specific needs may vary. A customized evaluation may determine what’s the best “practice” interval for your defensive driving instruction. This custom approach allows you to ensure you are getting your money's worth from your defensive driving and keeping yourself safer on the road which can even save you some money on insurance.