What is a Defensive Driving Course? The Complete Louisiana Guide

what is a defensive driving course

Defensive Driving Course

It happened again: You thought you were in the clear, but a police car was hiding out of sight.

You heard the siren and your stomach dropped. You slammed on the brakes even though you knew it was too late. You tried to explain, but the officer wasn’t having it today. He barely said two words before…

Ugh. Another speeding ticket. That’s embarrassing.

Because it’s not your first, you know your insurance premiums are about to skyrocket. You don’t want to have these tickets on your record forever. What if you get into an accident someday? Will you be assumed at fault because of your history of speeding?

Luckily, there is one thing you can do to mitigate the consequences — take a defensive driving course.

Most people have never taken one. So, what is a defensive driving course?

We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about Louisiana defensive driving courses. We’ll equip you with the knowledge you need to dismiss traffic violations and become a driver with a clean record once again.

Dismissing Traffic Violations From Your Record

Louisiana is one of the most expensive states in which to receive a speeding ticket. And the police have a reason to pull you over. In some towns, up to 92 percent of the town’s budget is collected from speeding violations.

In order to have a ticket removed from your record, you must appeal it to the court. (There should be a court date on your ticket.) A judge must give you permission to work off your ticket in an alternate manner and have it removed from your record.

One of these alternate methods is to take a defensive driving course.

Louisiana Defensive Driving Courses

The judge who approves your appeal should specify exactly what you need to look for in a defensive driving course. You can also look up your driving record at the Louisiana DMV website.

When you look up different courses in your area, you should make sure the class covers those subjects. Otherwise, you may end up having to take a second defensive driving course to fulfill all of the judge’s criteria.

These courses can range in price from about $10 to $150, so make sure to pick one that’s within your budget.

You should also look for reviews or testimonials about each driving school you research. Are many people writing that the courses helped them clear their driving records? If so, that’s probably a good sign.

Think about how you’d like to take the class as well. Although these courses are typically held in-person, you may also be able to complete it online.

What Is a Defensive Driving Course?

Just like how speeding doesn’t automatically mean you’re a bad driver, taking a defensive driving course doesn’t mean you need remedial driving classes, either.

Defensive driving teaches you methods to cope with stress, fatigue, road rage (from yourself or others), and other problems that may arise on the road.

Furthermore, it’s been proven that defensive driving courses work to increase safety on the road. One study showed that teen drivers who took a defensive driving course had between 28 and 49 percent fewer car accidents than their peers.

Think about it like this: Everyone always has room to improve, and driving can be dangerous. So once you enroll in a defensive driving course, you should pay attention to each lesson carefully. You may learn something you didn’t expect to.

What You’ll Learn in a Defensive Driving Course

Overall, the purpose of a defensive driving course is to sharpen your driving skills, learn tricks and tips to improve your safety, and to reduce incidents of speeding and accidents.

For example, a driver may learn to better manage his or her visibility while behind the wheel. The course instructor can help you work out strategies to more safely check your blind spots, use your side mirrors, and more.

Or, a person with anxiety issues may learn how to better cope with stress on the road so that it doesn’t affect their driving.

They could learn to pull over and take deep breaths before continuing to drive or to slow their speed and count to 10 so that they maintain a safe distance between cars.

Defensive driving also teaches you to look out for tricky hazards such as black ice and blind driveways. It helps you share the road to keep cyclists and pedestrians safe.

You’ll also get a refresher on local driving laws, such as how many miles per hour over the speed limit is considered speeding in your area. This will help you regulate your driving and reduce instances of being pulled over by police.

How Louisiana Speeding Ticket Can Help You

Louisiana has many defensive driving courses available. Depending on the nature of your infraction and ticket, it can be difficult to know exactly what you’re looking for.

Luckily, Louisiana Speeding Ticket has answers to all of your questions about what to do and how to dismiss traffic violations from your record.

We can also provide you with comprehensive information about what to do at traffic stops and how to fight a ticket even when you’re guilty.

And if it comes down to it, and a defensive driving class isn’t enough to wipe your record clean, we have a dedicated team of lawyers ready to assist you in fighting your ticket.

Improve Your Driving Record Today

Louisiana Speeding Ticket has assisted over a thousand clients with their traffic tickets. We’re the experts in knowing exactly what steps to take in order to clean up your record.

LST is committed to delivering you the justice you deserve so that you can keep on driving. Reach out to us today for more information on what we can do for you. Hopefully, you’ll never find yourself asking “What is a defensive driving course?” again.