What Is an Accident Prevention Course?

Written by Marleen González-Hernández, M.A.

You know an impending motor vehicle accident when you see one. But they can happen so fast that you barely have time to react, let alone figure out what you could have done to avoid it. Fortunately, you can learn how to predict and avoid accidents before they happen by taking an online accident prevention course.

It's important to use defensive driving skills, especially on New York's most congested roads and highways. An accident prevention course, also known as a defensive driving course, provides a refresher on traffic laws and basic driver safety. In addition to developing knowledge and skills that help you stay sharp and avoid accidents, you'll learn about New York traffic laws, common causes of accidents, the consequences of impaired driving and more.

And if you do get in an accident, you can take the course to keep points off your license. All graduates of state-approved defensive driving courses are also guaranteed a 10% insurance discount for three years.

Vehicle accident prevention training is your best option if you are interested in learning how to protect yourself and your loved ones while driving in New York.

Benefits of an Accident Prevention Course

In addition to teaching you how to drive safely, accident prevention courses like New York Defensive Driving provide a number of other great benefits.

If you were involved in an accident, whether you were found at fault or not, you can complete the course to reduce up to four traffic violation points and save money on your insurance.

An accident-related ticket can cause serious headaches. Points are added to your New York driving record, which could lead to a license suspension if you accumulate too many. In addition, your insurance rate can skyrocket after a crash.

Thankfully, you can take our online accident prevention course to protect your driving record and earn a guaranteed 10% car insurance discount. More importantly, the course trains you to drive defensively and keep yourself and your loved ones safe on the road.

How Does an Accident Prevention Course Work?

The New York Defensive Driving Course prepares you to avoid car accidents and become a more effective driver. Also available in Spanish, this course is the ideal choice for peace of mind and extra savings.

Strengthening your defensive driving knowledge with an accident prevention course takes most students less than six hours. The best part is that you can take the course 100% online using any device with internet access. You have 30 days to complete the course at your own pace, and you can log in and out anytime without losing your progress.

New York allows drivers to take the course once every 18 months for point reduction and every three years for an insurance discount. The 10% discount is applied to the base rate of your liability, no-fault and collision premiums. You can even retake the course every three years to renew your discount.

After you complete the course, a report is automatically sent to the DMV to process your point reduction. The points will not be completely removed from your record, but the DMV will not count them toward penalties like license suspension or revocation.

You will also receive a certificate of completion in the mail. Send the certificate to your insurance provider within 90 days of course completion to receive an immediate insurance reduction retroactive to the date you finished the course. If you submit your certificate after 90 days, your discount will begin on the date it's received.

All insurers are required to provide the discount to New York Defensive Driving course graduates, but your insurance company may have specific requirements for submitting your certificate. Remember to check directly with your insurance provider to confirm how to properly submit your defensive driving certificate.