Many drivers in New York wondering if taking one of those online insurance discount courses is actually worth it. A bunch of different online traffic schools advertises heavily in New York to get people to sign up for one of these courses claiming that if you take their course your insurance company will need to give you a discount which is mandated by law. Seem too good to be true? It’s not. So let’s get into this.
The Short Answer
First, I will give a very short answer for those of you who don’t feel like reading this entire article. So the short answer is this…
Yes, it is legit. Auto insurance companies are required by New York law to give a discount of 10% to any driver who completes a state-approved online traffic school. The discount is required by law to reduce your premiums for a minimum of three years. At the end of those three years, you can sign up and take the course again.
So for you sign up for? You can check out all of the reviews that we have of different online traffic schools on this site, but again, this is supposed to be the short answer to the online traffic school that you will want to use in the state of New York for insurance discount purposes is this traffic school right here. Don’t like how that one looks? Try this one instead.
So there you go, the short answer. Yes, it is legit and we have told you the two schools that we would choose from personally. If for some reason you want a longer answer, please see below.
Does a New York Online Insurance Discount Course Reduce My Insurance Premium?
As we stated in the short answer above, a New York online insurance discount course really does save you some money on your insurance premium. But maybe you don’t want to take our word for it. No problem. Here is the same information in a more boring format on the New York state motor vehicles website. It is officially called New York I-PIRP.
How Big Is The Discount?
The discount itself is 10% but there are other added benefits to taking one of these New York I-PIRP insurance discount courses. In addition to getting insurance discounts, you will also be able to eliminate up to four points on your driving record. This can reduce your insurance premiums further or prevent your insurance rates from increasing. Please note that you do not need to have any points on your driving record to take advantage of this discount. If you do not have any points on your driving record (good for you!) this will have no effect except to give you a discount on your auto insurance premium. You will not be able to go into a negative point territory. For example, if you have only two points on your driving record, the insurance discount course will not allow you to go down to -2. You will simply go down to zero. If you already have zero points on your driving record, well, congratulations but you’re not going to be able to affect any future violations. You can only reduce points that already exist on your record today.
Also, be aware that your insurance discounts after completing a certified New York online insurance discount course will last for three years. After the three-year period has expired you are allowed to take the course again and receive the same discount.
Can Every Person On My Auto Insurance Policy Complete The Course?
Bring one, bring all! The answer to this is a resounding yes and this is how you truly are able to save you a lot of money over the course of the three-year period that the discount is valid for. From your 16-year-old new driver to your 80-year-old mother, everyone who is under your policy can complete a certified New York online insurance discount course to save additional money. We highly recommend that everyone in your household who is under your insurance policy completes the course. Not only does it save you money, but a little extra education every three years on how to drive safely isn’t such a bad thing in itself, especially for younger drivers or older drivers who have not had any training in many decades.
How Much Does A New York Insurance Discount Course Cost & Is It Worth It?
A typical course will cost less than $30 if you decide to take the New York insurance discount course online. If you factor out the 10% savings on your auto insurance, this will easily pay for itself usually within the first 6 to 12 months. Your return on investment is clear on this one. Spending a few hours going through your traffic school course will save you quite a bit of money over the three years that this course is valid for. If every member on your policy takes the course as well, it becomes even more obvious how big the discount is.
Which New York Online Insurance Discount Course is the Best?
You can take classroom-based insurance discount courses in New York, but most drivers prefer to take the course online because of several reasons.
For one, online courses are a lot cheaper and more convenient. If you take it online, it will cost you around $50, depending on the course provider, and it will only take you 6 hours to complete the course.
Now, there are a lot of online driving schools that offer insurance discount courses in New York, and the question is which one is the best.
Truth is, there is no definite answer to that question because what’s best for you can be very subjective – it will depend on your preferences. But yes, it’s pretty clear that since you are looking for ways to reduce your insurance costs, you’re probably leaning towards the most affordable option there is, right?
Well, if this is your goal, there are a few that I can directly recommend.
The first one has to be iDriveSafely, an option that has been around for over 20 years and has an A+ Better Business Bureau rating. It comes up on top of my list of the best companies to go with.
They offer the New York State Point & Insurance Reduction Program (IPIRP) for drivers aged 15 to 55 years old and the New York Mature Insurance Savings for those over 55. All you’ll need is a computer with Internet access, and you’re ready to get a guaranteed 10% Insurance Discount. You can even save more if you avail of their FREE month of Allstate Roadside Services!
Another option could be My Improv’s Comedy Defensive Driving Course, which, in addition to affordability and guaranteed 10% insurance discount, provides an entertaining course curriculum written by professional comedy writers. What I mean is, you’ll get to have some laughs while completing the course. What more do you want?
You’ll also be rewarded with 4 FREE tickets to Improv Comedy Club upon course completion. Sounds like something you’d want to go see after your hard work.
So, that’s pretty much it! If you have any questions about anything that we did not cover or want to give your own feedback about a course that you have taken, please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below.