How much does Defensive Driving Lower Car Insurance Rates?

For many drivers, the question they think of before investing their time and money in a defensive driving course is: How much does defensive driving lower insurance? 

How Much Can a Defensive Driving Course Lower Your Car Insurance?

Let’s say you pay $105 monthly for auto insurance -that is the national average. You enrolled in a defensive driving course for $40.

Upon completion, you’re given a 10% discount on your auto insurance premiums. A 10% discount for $105 is $14 off, so your new rate is $91. Given one year, you will have saved nearly $170. That seems worth paying $40 for. And that’s just after one year. Imagine the amount of money you will have saved after three years.

How Do I Qualify For a Defensive Driving Discount?

Defensive driving discount qualifications depend on a couple of personal and auto factors. For the most part, select drivers around the United States qualify for such discounts.

Whether you qualify for a defensive driving discount is based on:

• Auto insurance provider - Most insurance companies offer defensive driving discounts with approved courses. There may be instances where some don’t. Always check with an agent to see if they do.
• State of residence - Discount amounts vary by state as well. An example would be California’s discounts, which will naturally differ from those in Georgia.
• Type of course - It matters whether the defensive driving course is online, in-person, or in the car. Insurance providers can be picky about which kind of school they accept certification from.
• Personal driving record - Sometimes, insurers only give discounts to policyholders with good driving records. Several traffic violations can result in a more-than-stellar-looking record or driver’s license points. Discounts aren’t offered to drivers who were court-ordered to attend a course.
• Age of driver - Defensive driver discounts are only available to drivers older than 55 and younger than 25. This is because these are the most at-risk groups of drivers -younger, new, and older.

What Insurance Companies Offer Defensive Driver Discounts?

Let’s look at how the most prominent names in auto insurance handle defensive driving courses and their discounts. From there, you may notice some standard practices they share and what separates them.

National insurance companies that offer defensive driving discounts are:

• GEICO offers defensive driving discounts to policyholders over 50, with an average discount of 10%. California drivers, however, can only receive 5% off. At the same time, there are some states where GEICO drivers can get a 15% discount.
• Farmers - This defensive driving discount is only offered to older drivers who are 65 or older. Courses that are taken also have to be DMV-approved.
• Allstate - Young and old drivers can receive defensive driving discounts. These discounts can go up to 10% after completing at least six hours of a defensive driving course. Younger drivers use teenSMART, which can provide discounts.
• Nationwide - Older Nationwide policyholders can qualify for an insurance discount of 5% after completing a DMV-approved course.
• Travelers - Younger drivers, even those under 21, can be eligible for a driver training discount of up to 8%.
• USAA - Family members and military personnel are eligible for such discounts. Only a state-approved defensive driving course is accepted.
• MetLife - Drivers with a MetLife policy are held to a standard for a discount between 5% to 10%. They must be licensed for at least a couple of years and pass the defensive driving class with an 80%. Courses by MetLife cost $21.95 to attend.

What’s the Benefit of a Defensive Driving Course?

In some cases of traffic violations, taking a course may be required to have it dismissed. The material of a defensive driving course revolves around avoiding collisions and other dangers drivers may face on the road. Another significant lesson is learning how to prevent oneself from getting into an auto accident at all.

Above all, defensive driver courses always teach the lesson of driver courtesy and traffic law compliance. Many drivers who have taken a course report that they drive more often because they feel they are such safe drivers.

A defensive driving course can also be taken for:

• Dismissal of a traffic ticket or citation - A defensive driving course is a win-win in this situation because not only would you not have to pay for a speeding ticket or citation after a minor traffic violation, but you would also take steps to become a safe driver and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
• Removal of driver’s license points - The lower the number of Driver’s license points, the better. A certain number of points indicates a certain number of traffic violations. Accumulating too many points can result in a license suspension. You can attend a defensive driving course to reduce the number of points on a license or have them removed altogether.
• Decrease of auto insurance rates - After completing a defensive driving course, your auto insurance provider will see you as less of a high-risk driver. Vehicle Insurance companies base their rates on how likely a driver would be to cause an accident or risk. A defensive driving course creates safer drivers based on statistics.

How Much Does a Defensive Driving Course Cost?

Here’s how defensive driving classes work:

• Driver pays attendance cost - Attendance in a defensive driving course costs anywhere from $15 to $100. Online attendance is also an option that can cost between $20 to $40.
• The course is completed - Upon completion of an approved defensive driving course, an auto insurance discount will be given to the graduate. This discount can last for up to three years.
• Discount amounts vary - The discount a driver receives after completing a defensive driver course can range from 5% to 20%. 10% is the average.

Who Offers Defensive Driving Courses?

Various organizations offer Defensive driving courses, most of which are approved by a state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. Most of these organizations also have the mission statement of providing more driver’s education and training for safe drivers.

These defensive driving schools are:

• National Safety Council - Uses an online defensive driving course called SafetyServe, which can result in premium decreases upon class completion. Insurance companies like GEICO and MetLife have partnered with them for defensive driver training.
• American Safety Council - For $15 to $30, you can take an online traffic safety course from the American Safety Council, which offers more lessons than the typical defensive driving course. Insurers who have partnered with the American Safety Council are GEICO and Travelers.
• AARP - For ages 50 and up, the AARP’s Smart Driver four-hour course can be done online. Course subjects go beyond defensive driving, with classes focusing on distracted driving prevention, medicating while driving, and advanced safety techniques while on the road. Cost ranges from $20 to $25 for the class, depending on whether or not the driver is an AARP member.
• AAA - Other defensive driving classes designed for older drivers can be taken online or in a classroom in four hours. AAA charges their members $30 for online courses and $36 for classroom courses. Non-members pay the price of $42 for any of the courses.
• TeenSMART - TeenSMART is a defensive driving program for younger drivers. They promise to help lower teen drivers’ collision rates by 30-70%. However, TeenSmart is one of the most expensive defensive driving courses, costing $120. But, this class can be worth the discount on a young driver’s insurance, mainly because the driver’s young drivers also have the most expensive insurance rates.
• Local driving schools - It never helps to return to the local driving school where you originally got your license to take a class. Many driving schools offer defensive driving courses in addition to their traffic school. However, they may or may not be certified by the DMV, so inquire about that before you pay for the training.

Online vs. Classroom Defensive Driving Courses

The differences between online and in-person defensive driving courses can be night and day. However, some class differences may not be as apparent as others.

We’ll start with online defensive driving courses. These classes can be completed on time and in your own home, which is far more flexible for some people. At the same time, they may be cheaper than classroom courses. However, instructors can only report to or answer questions during the training, and your state’s DMV may not approve the course. Classroom-held defensive driving courses always have a certified teacher at the helm. Local traffic laws are more covered in in-person courses and only take an afternoon or a weekend. The only negatives are that these classes are less flexible and have more regulations than an online course. However, it is the quickest way to complete a defensive driving course.

Are you tired of high car insurance premiums? Reach out to Insurance Navy today and see how affordable good car insurance coverage can be. We offer free, cheap car insurance quotes online, over the phone at 888-949-6289, and in person at all our locations. Drop in or contact us today to get started with your quote. Everyone needs car insurance, but only some need to be paying a lot for it.