If you aren’t a celebrity who would attract the interest of the paparazzi, a random flash of light as you drive along a street can usually only mean one thing: you’ve violated a traffic rule and the law is on your track with photographic evidence.
You usually need to wait a few days for confirmation. Then, you receive the letter from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, with photographic evidence of your car obtained at the moment of the violation in question, and a description of the law broken and the penalty to pay. With a violation on your record, you could end up paying higher insurance rates.
Want The Fast Answer?
THIS is the Online Traffic School You Should Sign Up For
If you are anxious to clean up your record, you will discover the options available to you when you go online to pay the penalty. You can either fight the citation in court or sign up for a stint in traffic school for a refresher course in the rules of driving on public streets. The offer is valid for one violation only — you can’t get out of repeated violations in this convenient way.
If you have a busy schedule and can’t take the time out, you have a convenient option: online traffic school. About eight hours of study is all you need to pass. You are deemed to have improved your driving ability, and the violation is wiped off your record.
Where do you find a great online traffic school?
If the idea of an online refresher course appeals to you, you still have the task of finding a good place that helps you learn. The market in online traffic education in Arizona is a huge one. A simple search will easily bury you under hundreds of results by different businesses.
Some of the results may not even be by the owners of traffic schools: they could be by affiliates hoping to earn a commission by steering you to a school of indifferent quality. You need a way to be able to tell the good schools apart.
Look for something entertaining
The lessons and tests at online traffic schools are a breeze to most people, but they present a different kind of challenge: most have nothing to offer other than learning material that’s dry and boring. Some schools, though, put together lessons that are glammed up with great graphics and sound or are written in a jokey manner. MyImprov Traffic School is the very best there is on this count. Their lessons are videos recorded by standup comics. At the very least, you want to look for material that’s well-spaced and easy to read.
Look for a course with no timer
Most courses at online traffic schools come with inbuilt timers for each lesson. They ensure that you actually read your lessons, and don’t rush through them. In some jurisdictions, the authorities require the presence of timers on online courses. Having to patiently sit through clocks running out, though, can be boring. If your jurisdiction doesn’t require it, you may be able to find a school that lets you quickly move through your lessons.
Make sure your state is included
Each state has its own traffic authority. Not every online traffic school can work with every such authority. Before you sign up to a school, then, you want to make sure that your state is on their list. Schools such as iDriveSafely (currently unavailable as of May 2021) and MyImprov do work in every Arizona jurisdiction.
Ask about accessibility on the devices you need
Online traffic school is about convenience. This means that you shouldn’t have to be tied to a specific device type. You should ask about device compatibility before you sign up. If a school has its own app, you should have even greater ease of use.
Consider your learning style and match it to the school’s teaching style
There are different ways a student can effectively learn, depending on their respective preferences. So, in choosing the online traffic school to attend, you must evaluate your learning style so that it would be easier for you to decide on the course that you’d like to take.
Most students prefer learning while having fun, in which case, MyImpov’s “edutainment” style will be a great option. For those who enjoy reading, GoToTrafficSchool may just have the right combination of visual resources injected throughout their text-based lessons to keep you engaged and focused at the same time.
Don’t forget to look for reviews
Looking for a great reputation on Yelp and the BBB is always a good idea, no matter what new business you wish to try. A lack of reviews doesn’t necessarily mean that a business isn’t good enough, though. If you manage to find actual complaints, you should consider looking elsewhere.
Reputation isn’t necessarily just about reviews by users and experts. Any well-established school should give you detailed contact information with a landline phone and an address for a physical location. Looking for full contact information is a good way to tell if a business is real or just an affiliate.
Ask about expedited delivery
If you want to take advantage of a traffic school course to clean up your driving record, the state of Arizona requires that they receive your test results within 7 days of the issue of your citation. It takes time for any traffic school to send your test results to the authorities by regular mail, though. If you put off taking your course and test by even a couple of days, you could need to pay the school an additional fee for expedited test delivery. Depending on the school, it could take as much as $30. It’s a good idea to shop around for the lowest prices.
Finally, check out how long the school will keep your account alive once you pay your fee. Most give you six months before asking for a reactivation fee. A few, though, give you as little as two months.
Which is the Best Online Traffic School in Arizona?
Of course, the best choice will depend on your preference and needs. But here are 3 of the most recommended online traffic schools in Arizona.
- MyImprov.com – your best bet for highly entertaining course material. Enjoy hilarious jokes and informative comedy skits as you complete the course. Also, you’ll get 4 FREE tickets to Improv Comedy Club if you finish their course successfully.
- GoToTrafficSchool.com – is perhaps the most trusted online traffic school, banking on their 22 years of online defensive driving expertise. They also have a money-back guarantee in the unlikely case that you are not satisfied with their course.
- iDriveSafely.com – unfortunately, this course is currently unavailable (as of May 2021). But once it becomes available again, this is the best state-approved, no-hassle course that you can take 100% online. You’ll have access to their free live support, available 24/7 to answer all your questions. And they will handle all the paperwork for you, too!