Were you in an accident and the court ordered you to take a defensive driving course, or else pay a fine and lose points on your license? This is an opportunity to become a safer driver, protect yourself on the road and potentially even lower your insurance premiums.

According to BACtrack, about 112 million Americans self-report drinking and driving every year. There are a lot of people who are impaired on the road at any given time, in addition to the distracted drivers who are focused on other things while behind the wheel. While we like to think that we can avoid getting into accidents by focusing on our driving, the reality is that every car is sharing the road with many other cars, any of which can cause an accident.

Improve Your Awareness

A court-ordered defensive driving course can teach you to watch those other cars on the road carefully and respond rapidly and safely when something happens that could potentially cause an accident. Defensive driving involves regularly checking blind spots, anticipating that other drivers might break traffic rules, and accelerating when changing lanes is safer than slowing to a halt. A huge percentage of automobile accidents and fatalities could be prevented with the basic principles of defensive driving.

Save Money

The advantages to taking a court-ordered defensive driving course go beyond increasing your safety. You can save money on your auto insurance premiums after taking a defensive driving course. Your insurance company recognizes that you are safer, and significantly less likely to have an accident after that training. That lowered risk translates into cheaper insurance.

If you have been ordered by the court to take a defensive driving course, probably the most obvious advantage is the reward the court is offering you for taking it. The alternative is usually being fined or losing points on your license. The ability to get around these costly and inconvenient punishments is one huge advantage of taking a court ordered defensive driving course. It may take some time out of your week, but it is more convenient than losing money or being unable to use your vehicle.

A court ordered defensive driving course is an opportunity to become a better driver, keep yourself safe, save money and avoid court fines. There are many advantages to following through and taking the course.