Reasons to Take a Houston Defensive Driving Course

Defensive driving is something that all drivers should practice. It takes real-world experience to really hone the skills required to drive defensively, but learning traffic laws and driving theory is necessary if you want to be the best driver you can be. That's why Houston drivers who get cited for traffic violations are often required to take a defensive driving course. In order to take a course to dismiss a ticket, though, you'll need to meet the following requirements:

• It must be at least 10 days after your ticket was issued
• You will have to request permission to take a driving course on or before the date you are scheduled to appear in court
• You will need to have a valid driver's license
• You can only take a defensive driving course for a ticket one time per year (12 months), so if you have already completed a course for a different ticket within the last 12 months, you are ineligible to dismiss this ticket with traffic school

You may also opt to take a defensive driving course voluntarily to get an insurance discount of up to 10% for the next three years.

What Will This Course Teach Me?

Through your traffic school course, you will learn everything you need to know about defensive driving in Houston, Texas. Just a few of the valuable things you'll learn are:

• Traffic collision avoidance
• Up-to-date traffic regulations and how to follow them
• What traffic signs mean and how to obey them

Choosing the Best Houston Defensive Driving Course

You have many options when it comes to defensive driving classes in Houston, TX. Online courses are definitely the most efficient, but you need to make sure that the course you pick will actually fulfill the requirements of what you want to accomplish, whether it's taking care of a ticket or lowering your insurance rate. Here are some general considerations you should bear in mind:

• Is it approved by the Texas Education Agency?
• Is this course within my budget?
• Do I meet all the requirements to take the course?
• Does my insurance company offer a discount for taking a driver safety course?

The Importance of Your Driving Record

Your driving record keeps track of every car accident you're involved in, and every traffic violation you are found guilty of. Points get added to your record when these incidents happen, and the more points you have, the higher the cost of your insurance. The DMV also monitors these points, because if you get too many, you may be found unfit to drive and have your driver's license suspended or revoked. Therefore, it's critical that you dismiss traffic tickets with defensive driving courses when you can, because this will remove those points from your record. There is an obvious benefit to keeping your driving record clean, or at least low on points, so check up on your driving record periodically to make sure that it is accurate.

The City of Houston

You should want to drive safely in Houston, because it's a great city to be in. It's the biggest city in Texas, and it's full of culture. While here, you can take advantage of the Houston Museum District, or check out the famous Space Center. With so much to do, you may find yourself on the road a lot, and you'll need to drive carefully in order to get the most out of your trip.