Ever have one of those days? You get up, you’re psyched, you’re good, and the coffee is ready. You think it is shaping up to be a fine day, and then it all goes south.
I had one of those days a while back. The birds were singing, the sun was shining and my wife had made a hot breakfast to top it off.
It seemed like it would be a great day, but I was wrong about that.
I ended up with a moving violation, and that is how I discovered online traffic school.
Let me tell you what happened.
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Bad Traffic
My job is pretty far from where I live. I drive a good 30 miles to get there. More often than not, traffic is bad for stretches, and you get annoyed, even with a hot breakfast in your belly. I don’t mean road rage annoyed, just annoyed enough to turn the music up and mutter to yourself. You know the feeling.
Bad Decision
That day, traffic was worse than usual. When I got to one of the stretches where it usually backs up a bit, it was backed up completely.
So there I was, crawling along at 5 miles an hour. It didn’t let up.
After 15 minutes of this, I had barely moved a mile. It seemed almost sure that I would be late for work, so when the traffic finally opened up, I hit the gas.
My manager doesn’t like people being late, and I already had one warning. I was going too fast, but there are no speed traps on that part of the road, or so I thought.
Busted!
I got busted. Busted for going more than 10% above the speed limit.
Here in Texas, that is 2 points on your license. I can’t afford to have points on my license. If my license got suspended, I wouldn’t be able to get to work. It doesn’t take that much to get points.
All of these and more can put points on your license in Texas:
- Unsafe lane changes.
- Not using turn signals.
- Speeding over 10% above the designated limit, as I learned the hard way.
- Going slower than the minimum speed limit.
- Not stopping for a red light or stop sign.
- Open containers of alcohol.
- Following at an unsafe distance.
- Failure to yield to pedestrians, when they have the right of way.
Did you remember all of those from driver’s ed in high school?
Points on Your License Don’t Need to Stay There
I know I am not alone. Something happens, and although you are a good driver, you end up with a moving violation.
At least there is some good news in all this. I got the points removed from my license by attending traffic school.
It seems silly, even a bit humiliating, to have to go to traffic school when you are a full, working adult, who has been driving for years. But, it was worth it to get rid of the points, and it really wasn’t so bad.
Online Traffic School to the Rescue
First of all, in Texas, you can take the traffic school course online.
Online traffic school is faster, easier, and much less embarrassing than having to trudge off to an actual school somewhere.
Second, online traffic school is quite cheap if you look around and take advantage of discounts.
Third, I had fun doing it, which I never thought I would be saying.
How to Choose an Online Traffic School
I started by looking at this recommended list of traffic schools. That narrowed the list down to 4 schools, and I could be sure the schools were legitimate and TSC certified, so that saved me some time already.
The first one on the list, IDriveSafely.com, is clearly a serious outfit, the courses look very good, and the site is easy to navigate. You can choose either a text & quiz-type course, or one that includes video. You pay a bit more for the video course, but for some people, it is both faster and easier that way and therefore worth the extra money.
Then I looked at Traffic101.com because the review said it had good customer service. Like many people, I often forget logins or make a mistake somewhere, so having great customer service sounded good. On the other hand, the course is all text, and I thought that could get boring, so I skipped it.
Then there’s this one new school called Aceable, which was receiving rave reviews about how modern and user-friendly their course is. I was actually tempted to pick this one because the reviews alone can convince you that it’s worth a try. They even have a unique app for their courses, which also scored high on both iOS and Android app ratings. But I guess I was just looking for something else, so I skipped it, too.
Laughter Wins
In the end, I went with MyImprov.com. Who doesn’t like funny? The demo, which showed how the course text is in comic book format, sold me. It is also very reasonably priced.
The school’s slogan is “Fun, fast and done!” And they deliver what they promise.
I actually laughed a lot while doing the course and definitely got it done fast. I discovered later on that their courses are written by professional comedy writers, so that explains why the course is so funny.
But don’t get the wrong idea. Yes, I find it hard to keep a serious face while going through the course, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not taking the course seriously.
It’s actually the opposite – by treating it as a joke, I was able to reflect on my attitude towards driving. Like it was teaching me what I should be doing, but indirectly, so I don’t feel like it’s a lecture. And therefore, it’s easier to acknowledge if I’m used to doing something that I shouldn’t do while driving.
Anyway, although we had people over, I got the whole thing completed over a weekend. It was so much fun that I did the course instead of watching TV.
What’s more, I even got 4 FREE tickets to the Improv Comedy Club after finishing the course – turns out it’s part of the deal. Sadly, I didn’t get the chance to use the tickets, but it’s something to look forward to if you have the time.
Don’t Let One Bad Day Get You Down
I don’t recommend getting moving violations, but should you get one, I can warmly recommend MyImprov Traffic School.
Their way of teaching, I think they call it “edutainment”, leaves something that makes you want to reflect on your attitude as a driver. Well, not consciously. It’s not like that.
It’s more like an uncalled-for reminder, like I get up earlier now, to give myself time to get to work without speeding.
Thanks to the course, I also have fresh in my mind what else to watch out for, so I won’t have to go to court again.
With a little time, a little money, and a lot of laughs, I managed to get rid of the points on my driving license. All in all, what started out as a really bad day ended up being okay in the end.