Defensive Driving & Traffic School

Defensive driving courses go by different names depending on where you drive — traffic school in California, a defensive driving course in Texas, Basic Driver Improvement in Florida, PIRP in New York — but they serve the same two purposes: dismissing a traffic ticket and earning a car insurance discount. This section covers how state-approved courses work, what they cost, how long they take, who qualifies, and which providers are worth your time. Rules and eligibility vary by state, so we break down the requirements state by state.