Too many people get defensive driving school and traffic survival school confused. After all, even the names sound similar and they can be confusing to those who don’t understand the differences between the two. But in the interests of clarity, let our Arizona Traffic School outline for you exactly what the differences are between the two schools, so when you determine what you need and how you need it, you can see what works for you and what may not:
Traffic Survival School is Mandatory
Arizona Traffic School options all provide traffic survival school courses and lessons, as it is mandatory to drive in the state of Arizona. Traffic survival school is an eight-hour course, in-class, that is monitored and mandated by the state of Arizona and the Motor Vehicle Department itself. If you are notified to attend, it is required that you must attend the classes in order to avoid having your license suspended or voided.
If you have accumulated between eight and twelve points on your driving record, if you have had a DUI or have been arrested for driving under the influence, if you have been convicted of any red light violation at any point, or if you have had a first violation under the age of 18, you are required to attend traffic survival school when it comes to getting your record back and intact. It is both for your safety, and for the safety of the other drivers out on the road around you.
Defensive Driving is Optional
Defensive driving in AZ is an optional course that does not need to be taken by anybody, but is strongly recommended. Defensive driving is a four hour class that you can take either in class, or online. The class is taken in place of paying a ticket, to avoid accumulating points on your record for eligible violations.
Arizona defensive driving school is a pretty simple process, and it is ideal for people who have not taken defensive driving in at least the last 12 months from violation date, or for those who have not accumulated too many points on their record.
All in all, both traffic survival school and defensive driving courses are important for people who are seeking to get the most out of their driving and traffic experiences, though they need to understand that the two courses are ideal for two different sets of people. A good Arizona traffic school will provide options for both courses, while seeing to it that the right person gets in the right course, to ensure you get the most out of your courses, as well as meeting the right obligations from the state as you move forward with healthy and safe driving, and a clean record on your license in the state of Arizona.