Defensive Driving in Georgia

(source: https://www.defensivedriving.org/states/georgia )

Georgia drivers can take advantage of defensive driving programs for safety, points reduction, license reinstatement, and insurance premium reduction. These courses teach drivers about safe, responsible driving, and can offer useful benefits for those who are able to complete them.

 

Defensive Driving Courses in Georgia

Drivers in Georgia who have been charged with a traffic offense may be ordered by the court to complete a defensive driving course as part of your sentence. In some cases, Georgia courts will allow you to take a defensive driving program to dismiss your traffic ticket.

Additionally, once every five years, defensive driving school courses can be taken to deduct points from your Georgia driving record to deduct seven points from your driving record. Drivers who receive 15 points within 24 months will have their license suspended, so this course may help you retain your driver's license if you have accumulated too many points. If you're not able to stop the suspension, a driver improvement course will be required to reinstate your suspended driver's license.

Often, Georgia drivers find that by taking a defensive driving course to dismiss a traffic ticket or reduce points is beneficial, allowing them to avoid a conviction or license suspension. Additionally, the course may prevent your insurance rates from going up following a traffic violation conviction.

Georgia Defensive Driving Course Eligibility

Driver improvement courses are able to dismiss your ticket only under special circumstances. Often, a judge will decide whether you will be allowed to dismiss your ticket under certain circumstances, namely, by taking a defensive driving course. You may need to enlist the help of an attorney and work on a special agreement with the court to take defensive driving for traffic ticket dismissal.

Often, instead of ticket dismissal, courts will require traffic offenders to complete a defensive driving course. You may also need to take a defensive driving course to reinstate your license after a suspension. But perhaps most often, Georgia drivers complete defensive driving to remove seven points from their driving record every five years, which can prevent a license suspension if you've accumulated too many points.

Before you enroll in a driver improvement course in Georgia, you should verify with the court and/or the Department of Driver Services that taking the course will satisfy your court order or requirements for reinstatement or points reduction. If you enroll before confirming that you are eligible, you may not receive benefits for completing the course.

Georgia License Reinstatement and Points Reduction with Defensive Driving

Georgina driver improvement courses can be taken for points reduction, driver's license reinstatement, or by court order. To enroll in a driver improvement course, you should contact the court, or the Department of Driver Services to request permission to take part in the program. Once you're approved, you'll need to choose a traffic school that is accepted by the state, complete your course, and send your certificate of completion to the court or Department of Driver Services.

When taking your course, be sure to arrive on time and participate. All schools have strict attendance policies, and you will be expected to arrive on time or be denied entry. If you are absent or leave early, you may be required to start the course again. Students who lose their certificate of completion should contact the traffic school for a replacement. If you do not complete the course, or your fail to turn in the certificate of completion, you will not be granted your license reinstatement or points reduction, and may be in violation of your court order.

Defensive Driving Courses Available in Georgia

Georgia's defensive driving courses offer life saving lessons in Georgia traffic laws, driving skills, and defensive driving. Each course is six hours long and may be offered in multiple sessions. The course is designed to make you a safer more responsible driver with curriculum typically including:

• safe driving attitudes
• smart driving behaviors
• Georgia traffic laws and regulations
• impaired driving including alcohol or drugs
• defensive driving techniques
• collision avoidance

 

Defensive Driving for Car Insurance Discounts in Georgia

Defensive driving is often used for points reduction in Georgia, but many drivers who have no points on their record may be interested in completing a defensive driving course for personal knowledge as well as an insurance discount. Many insurance companies offer a safe driver discount to drivers who have completed a voluntary defensive driving course. Most discounts are available to mature or teenage drivers, but all drivers may be eligible.

Georgia Defensive Driving Insurance Discounts

Most insurance companies in Georgia offer safe drivers a discount on insurance premiums for up to 10% off for three years. After three years, you may renew to continue your discount.

Georgia Defensive Driving Insurance Discount Eligibility

Georgia drivers of all ages can complete a driver improvement course to receive an insurance discount. However, policies may vary depending on your insurance company, and some companies only offer discounts to elderly drivers or new teenage drivers, so it's important to verify your eligibility before enrolling in a course to receive an insurance discount. Most discounts only last for three years, after which drivers can enroll in and complete a new course to continue the safe driving discount. Contact your insurance company to find out about your eligibility and the amount of your discount available.

Insurance Defensive Driving Courses Available in Georgia

Georgia's insurance discount defensive driving courses are the same courses offered to drivers for points reduction. That means you'll be enrolled in the same six hour course as those with traffic citations and learn the same important safety information. Your course curriculum is likely to include instruction in:

• defensive driving techniques
• Georgia traffic laws and violations
• safe driving behaviors
• driver attitude
• the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs