Vehicle crashes happen each day and as a result, 32,719 people lose their lives in an accident each year.

Most of these accidents are due to human error, which makes taking a defensive driving course more logical for each driver.

Taking a course can better your driving capabilities overall and increase your awareness on the road.

If you want to be a more responsible driver, keep reading to learn about the benefits of taking an online defensive driving course!

1. Become a Better Driver

There’s always room for improvement no matter how long you’ve been a driver. Driving is an always-changing variable that we should always try to improve on. Becoming a better driver is something to strive for each day to ensure your safety.

Taking a defensive driving course can help you in this aspect by showing you different techniques you may have forgotten about. Since you can’t control what happens on the road, it’s important to know how to handle all situations.

The course will show you dangerous situations and explain how to react to each occurrence. These techniques will help you remain calm and respond logically so that you are in control of the situation.

2. Promotion

If you work for a company that requires a lot of driving, it may be wise to take the driving course for many reasons. A perk of taking some of the best defensive driving courses is your ability to leverage it towards a promotion.

Your employer might already offer incentives for completing a defensive driving course. Completing this additional driving training also shows initiative and the discipline of hard work. Your boss will take this into consideration and hopefully reward you accordingly.

You can show your employer your certification and discuss a promotion if they do not offer anything. Even if they offer a slight pay increase for your training, it’s well worth the effort.

3. Reduce Fines & Points

Penalizations are expected depending on your state’s laws and what kind of violation you committed. You can either be issued fines or negative points that go on your driving record.

If your state uses the point system, your license could be suspended if you receive too many. Fines can add up over time and be very expensive, creating an unforeseen expense.

Depending on your state, they may offer a program to reduce fines or points by taking defensive driving. This could end up saving you hundreds of dollars or allow you to keep your license.

Complete the course, then you’ll need to show your certification to the court. They will then take the proper actions to dismiss your violation.

4. Prevent Future Accidents

No matter how often you drive, you never want to get into a car accident. A small or large crash can cause significant injury that you may not fully recover from. Preventing an accident can make all the difference in a high danger situation.

As previously mentioned, we can’t always control what occurs around us. However, we can control our anticipation and how we react to any potential hazards.

Your defensive driving course will teach you how to handle careless drivers, poor visibility, unpredictable weather conditions, and other dangerous threats. You’ll use these lessons each time that you drive and you’ll be safer overall.

5. Insurance Premium Reduction

If you own a vehicle, you most likely pay an insurance premium each year. Depending on your policy, insurance will cover costs due to accidents or damage. The downside to this coverage is that it is usually pretty expensive to pay each year.

Saving money on insurance is a huge benefit that many people take advantage of. Some companies offer a discount to those who complete a defensive driving course. This shows them that you are a responsible driver and have furthered your driving training.

The discounts may be small, but anything helps in this situation. Contact your insurance company to see if they offer special rates for obtaining defensive driving certifications.

6. Ticket Dismissal

If you’ve ever gotten a ticket, you understand how difficult it is to get it off your driving record. It’s also a burden to deal with the court, officers, and payments.

Your state laws may offer ticket dismissal for those who complete the defensive driving course. This is a great benefit for those wanting to keep a clean driving record.

Contact your local DMV to see if this is offered in your area and if your ticket qualifies for dismissal. You’ll then need to take the course and show proof of completion.

7. Law Refreshment

Most current drivers don’t regularly review driving laws and regulations. Unless you’re a new driver, you probably don’t even remember most laws at all. Getting a refreshment in your area’s laws is something everyone around you can benefit from.

Knowing every single law may not seem very important, but knowing most of them can help you be a better driver.

Enrolling in a defensive driving course allows you to regain all the necessary knowledge you may have lost over the years. This will then translate into your driving and show improvement on the road.

Take an Online Defensive Driving Course Today

If you’re still wondering who should take a defensive driving course, the answer is you! Taking an online defensive driving course will bring you all of these benefits and keep you safer while driving.