Liverpool (WSYR-TV) - New York has joined a growing number of states allowing people to take a defensive driving course -- not in their car or in the classroom, but in their living room.
It's been three years in the making, but this morning at the stroke of midnight, New York drivers were given the chance to take a six-hour defensive driving course online.
For years, motorists have been able to take the six-hour course on a weekend, or over the course of two evenings in a classroom setting. The benefit is a four-point reduction on a driver’s license, and a 10-percent reduction in collision and liability insurance.
“Many people don't have time to come in and take a classroom course,” says AAA spokeswoman Diana Dibble.
AAA has partnered with one such company now offering the defensive driving course online.
Unlike the six-hour course, the online version can be taken over a period of 30 days. Once you register, you must complete it within that time frame.
There is an element within the system to make sure the person who signed up is the person taking the course.
Other than that, the computer version is pretty much like the classroom course -- a refresher for people to help them drive more safely.
“Some people don't think to take it, others do it to get the point reduction because of a speeding ticket, and this is one way to do it,” Dibble says.
There are several companies offering the online defensive driving course, which costs about $49.
That's compared with the cost for the classroom course, which can run anywhere from $35 to $75.
Visit the following websites to find the course that’s right for you.
AAA: http://www.aaa.com/scripts/WebObjects.dll/ZipCode.woa/wa/route?stop=yes&
NY Safety Council: www.NewYorkSafetyCouncil.com
