Berkeley Parents Network: Traffic School

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Traffic School

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Classes & Lessons > Traffic School

Online traffic schools

Oct 2005

after going for about 10 years w/o a moving violation, I picked up two, and plan to do traffic school on one of them to save my driving record. any recommendations? -- preferably for an on- line outfit? (the last time I did this, there was no on-line option, and I went to ''Lettuce Amuse You''. they didn't. but it was still better than the real old-school ones, that did their best to resemble marine boot camp). thanks. -- desperate outlaw seeking redemption

http://www.safety-usa.com Easy, fast, cheap. -Recent ''grad'' :-)

I was in a similiar situation about a year ago. The ability to do traffic school on line is a god-send. Rather than sitting for 8 hours on a Saturday, you can click through it on line in about 3 hours. They're all about the same. Dana

i also just 'earned' two moving violations in a very short period after going 15+ years without one. i received a list of approved traffic schools from the court. i visited a few before settling on gotaticket.com. they all seem pretty similar, some have some sort of 'distraction' like being in the form of a comic strip. in my opinion whatever you decide is MUCH better than a day in traffic school. this only took me a couple of hours at most and didn't have to be done in one sitting. and i actually learned a few things! safer

I used an online traffic school - Ticket Toasters. Very convenient and cheap - I remember $15. You authorize your identity online through some questions they ask. IMO an online school/test is the way to go. Jessica

My husband did one on-line called ''simple, fast, fun'' traffic school. Although it's time consuming with the reading and taking notes, it was nice to be able to do it in the evenings and you can stop and come back to it when you have spare time. Depending on the county where you got the citation some counties require you to go to either a ''testing'' site to take the test or get the test you send in notarized. Good Luck. mchenry9

The one I used is http://www.gototrafficschool.com - I haven't done the final test yet but it's been okay so far. There's a lot of material on the web site, most of it pretty basic, and you have to read it all, but it sure beats sitting in class for 8 hours. Wayne

when I got a moving violation in 2000, I was in Santa Cruz county. They sent me a list of different traffic school options and companies. I could choose between old-fashioned school, a CD-ROM or a book. I chose the book as I could flip through it quickly and answer questions as I go. The CD-ROM would force me to wait as I went through all the lessons and through each page as the CD wanted me to. The book was great. I think it only took a couple of hours and I did learn a thing or two and although the book was a little cheesy, it was OK. I got a good recipe for cantalope aqua fresca out of it. Anon

March 2004

I just got a traffic ticket and have decided not to contest it. My last ticket was 15 years ago when I was single and childless, so going to traffic school for two nights (at the Piedmont Adult School) was pretty painless. Now, however, I have three kids under ten, so am interested in completing traffic school on-line. I'd appreciate hearing experiences pro and con. Although cost is a concern, I am more interested in the convenience of completing the class on-line. How easy was it to do the test at the end? At some sites, it looks like you either have to get a webcam or go somewhere to complete the test. Also, how reliable was the traffic school in sending your certificate to the court? I've checked the archives and found some useful information, but these posts are two years old now; I expect there are many more people who have used on-line traffic schools since then, so I would love to hear about recent experiences! Recommendations for a specific website are also most welcome. Thanks in advance. anon

I would highly recommend on-line traffic school. It was so convenient and really didn't take the full 8 hours to prepare for the test. I used IDRIVESAFELY.COM and not only was it easy on my time it was somewhat humorous to study and you could break it up into as many sessions as you wanted (so you could do a chapter at a time) You could also do it at anytime, like midnight, if that's when you found yourself free. It cost $25. I got the certificate in 2 days of taking the test, and they file it with the court. They ONLY downside is that you do have to go somewhere to take the test, because it has to be notarized (and of course, they don't want you to cheat) but you can choose the location. And the test is easy. I say go for it. I DRIVE SAFELY NOW

I would absolutely recommend doing online traffic school. I was able to complete the course and test from my office at home in about an hour. If you miss the questions on the first time around, the website I used (which I don't remember the name of) would just ask the same question over again until you got it right. Chris

I did online traffic school last spring and LOVED it. Well, not loved it intrinsically, of course, but compared to having to go sit in a classroom for a whole day it was wonderful. Fast, easy, painless; I took care of the whole thing in a couple hours one night after my toddler went to bed. I read very quickly, so I probably managed to finish faster than average, but there was no webcam requirement or anything like that; I just had to read a long article about driving laws and rules, answering a multiple-choice quiz at the end of each section. It was possible to ''save your place'' (using a login password) so that you could finish one section and then come back to the next hours or even days later, as long as you finished the whole thing within a certain time period (two weeks? 30 days? something like that). There may have been a longer final test at the end, but it was all done on the web, on my own time. I think it was even cheaper than going to a traditional class (which makes sense, since the company doesn't have to pay instructors to run them).

Unfortunately, I do not remember the specific ''school'' I used. As best I can recall, I chose pretty much at random from the list the court sent me with my citation information. Anonymous Lead-Foot

I took an online traffic school course about a year ago, from www.trafficinteractive.com. I don't have much to compare it to, since I've never had to take traffic school before, but I thought it was pretty convenient, and I'm pretty sure I finished it in a smaller amount of time (during lunch at work, and, I think, one evening at home, for a total of ~3 hours?). There were a few animations, which ran slower on my home dial- up, but it was bearable. It will intermitantly ask you questions to determine you are the person who's supposed to be taking the course. The cost then was $18.95, which probably did not include the cost of the certificate. I saved their online documentation and email as my proof of completion, and never heard back from the traffic court (Berkeley) of any problems. Seems like a good way to do it! Jim

Oh, the joys of traffic fines -- I've had more than my share. I did do the on-line option with my ticket and found it to be quite easy. You can do it at your own pace. The website will save what you have done so far, so you can stop and go as necessary. I don't remember it taking me much more than a few hours total, including ''study'' and testing time. I believe you even had the option of re-doing it if you didn't like the results. It was pretty user-friendly and hassle-free. There didn't seem to be any problems sending the information to the ''powers that be.'' I think I forgot to follow-up, and I know they got the information.

Unfortunately, it was a couple of years ago, so I don't remember the exact site. I can tell you, however, that when you choose the traffic school option, they send you a whole brochure with a pretty extensive list of online options. I just checked a few of them out and figured out which one worked best for me. If I remember right, I chose one that looked like it was specifically for Alameda County, if that helps.

Good luck! And -- some unsolicited advice from a seasoned pro -- don't buy a brightly colored car, because you'll always be the one to get pulled over, even when going the same speed as everyone else! Katie

I got a speeding ticket last November and was concerned about the validity of an online traffic school. Since no one I knew had ever taken traffic school, I decided to take a chance by signing on.

I wouldn't do it any other way.

PROS: I did it on my own time in my home. It was so convenient and easy and I had zero problems. You read the lessons which are broken up into chapters and sections. You must take a quiz and pass at the end of each section in order to continue on. This made it easy to stop at any point in the test, in case you get interrupted. They give you 3 months to complete and you can save your answers at any point in the test. I passed just fine and the school took care of sending the certificate to the courts.

CONS: I did it on my own time in my home. Basically, it took me a few weeks to finish the test b/c it's easy to get distracted if you're on your own schedule. Also, it gets a little tiring reading for hours on end on the computer screen but the site is clean, clear and easy to read.

The entire test took a lot longer than I expected because I wasn't very diligent, but it was worth it. I found the following site from the list of traffic schools they sent to me and picked the one that looked most professional. It was a great choice.

http://www.fasteasyonlinetrafficschool.com/

Good luck! lhc

I thought the online version of traffic school was great. You can do it at your own pace and don't have to sit through a class, which in my experience is pretty boring. It was very easy to complete the test and you don't need anything more than your web browser. Typically, they have you read through materials, and there's a practice test at the end of each topic. The course I took had virtually identical questions on the practice tests and actual test, and there were some non-traffic-related questions you could only answer if you actually read the materials. That's what they're really trying to ensure, as it's more important to the learning than the test itself. I don't think it cost much more than the regular course, and I thought it was worth it. Because the schools are ''certified'' by each county court, they're pretty reliable about sending the certificate, though I wouldn't wait until the end. Alameda County also offered an extension of the deadline when I called and said it was in the mail, basically accepting the postmark, but you can also ask the school to send it expedited and with a confirmation to you, if you want.

I did this two years ago, so I've forgotten the name of the one I used, but you can do a google to find them and compare prices and features. Some give you a free repeat of the course. The court may also have a list of those schools they accept. Good luck. Lori

YES! A few months ago I did www.HomeTrafficSchool.com and it was straightforward, and I could do it all sitting on my couch with my laptop. Each little section had a quiz at the end, and then the final exam is done all on-line. No special equipment needed at all. And you could stop after any of the sections, and then log in again some other time to keep going. I did it over several evenings. Beats the heck out of taking up a saturday and being bored with a bunch of random people for 8 hours! Mike

I did the Easy On-line Traffic school-it was great-I could do some of it, then come back to it another day. Much less painful than sitting in 8 hours of traffic school. anon

YES! I can't help too much because I don't remember the name of the traffic school I used, but I will tell you it was the most painless thing ever. I did it in one evening, but you could do it over several if you wish. The test at the end was absurdly easy, especially considering that you could simply open a new browser window to take the test and therefore have your original browser window open and available to reference back for correct answers. I, too, was nervous about them sending the certificate to the city -- I never got any confirmation from either the traffic school or the city that it was sent or received -- but it's been over a year so I have to assume it was all taken care of. Overall, it was an extremely positive experience. Sarah

I recommend http://www.idrivesafely.com/. I used them about 6 months ago and it worked great. I logged on whenever I had some spare time and it didn't take too long. They sent in the certificate for me. The site has great usability. I think it cost about $25. I was also able to pay the fine online at the Alameda County's website. I'll never waste another Saturday in traffic school again! anon

Which traffic school?

March 2002

Hi, I recently got a speeding ticket...my very first. I was wondering if anyone has any tips for which traffic school is the most tolerable. I would suppose that one of the comedy ones would be a little better...but don't know which one to use. Any tips? Thanks,

The traffic school at Piedmont Adult School is held at Piedmont High School in Piedmont. It's safe to get to at night, parking is easy, and you are treated with intelligence and respect. A retired highway patrol officer teaches the class; he was both amusing and sobering at the same time. I actually learned quite a few things about defensive driving and good road tips in general(despite the fact that I, and everyone else there, felt we didn't deserve to be there !). I managed to stay engaged despite being 7 months pregnant, and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to sit for several hours for two nights. You can find their listing in the Yellow Pages of the phone book under traffic schools.

I was quite pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed my traffic school class and how much I felt I benefited from it. When I left, I thought everyone should have to go every year. I was truly grateful for the information I learned and for the demeanor of the instructor, who was an interesting retiree with a pseudo-gruff attitude and interesting stories to tell. His personal goal seemed to be for us to leave with interesting, important tips, facts, and information under our belt. He was not a comedy one, which I've heard are pretty bad, actually. He's at the Piedmont Adult School, and I don't remember his name, but he has a sort of flat top military style haircut. Don't let that dissuade you; he was a pussycat, and funny in his own way. Christy

I highly recommend trying to do the course online. You can follow up with the district you received the ticket in and ask if they allow this. Otherwise, I attended a good one with the Comedy Traffic School at 800 301-0060. Their website is comedytrafficschool.net. Karen

My husband recently had to complete traffic school. He left it so long that he was in a real pinch, and the folks at court suggested he complete the course online. It was super easy to do, cost about $20, and the site sent the court the paperwork verifying that he completed the course---and he never left the house. At the web site (www.trafficinteractive.com) you can check which courts they cover. Good luck, Denise

You can be sure that no traffic school is going to be a picnic. But, it is now possible to go to traffic school online at home! The cost is approximately the same, about $30 I believe, and you can log on and do it in segments. Just make sure that the school that you select (we did a search for "online traffic schools") is an acceptable one for the county in which you received your ticket. This info will be on the traffic schools webpage, and you can double check with the city or county that issued the citation.

My son got a speeding ticket last year and went to online traffic school and it seemed much less painful than the alternatives. Good luck. Nancy

I noticed a bumper sticker on a taxi recently for www.webtrafficschool.com. I checked out the website, and you can take the written exam via your computer over a reasonable period of time without having to go sit in some classroom for 8 hours. They have a list of counties which accept this form of traffic school, which includes Alameda County. While I have no personal experience with this business, my husband says others at his workplace have used it successfully. Good luck, Denise

try one of the many online ones out there, if your ticketing government body allows them. i got a ticket in sf and they do take online traffic schools. i read materials online, took a test in a mailboxes, ect office and was done in three or four hours. it was 25 bucks. i wish i could remember the name of the school i used, but imagine they're all very similiar.

Good question! I can tell you the ones I thought were a total waste of time -- comedy traffic school and Saturday traffic school. I've yet to find one where you actually learn something worthwhile.

I live in Fremont, but I found one of the comedy traffic schools. The guy who taught it was hilarious and he also played some sort of unusual instrument for us at the end (can't tell you what exactly it was, only that it was stringed and looked like an electronic version of a sitar). It was a one day seminar on a Saturday. I thought I'd hate it, but it was actually very fun. The only problem I had was the rest of the class WAS there for obviously blatant reasons (mine was for something that is no longer ticketed at the the spot I got mine) and I stuck close to the teacher because I was very leery of the crowd. Marianne

My Husband just finished one through traffic101.com. If you read quickly you can get through it fairly fast. He looked at a bunch of them, and this according to him (programming snob) had the least annoying web interface.

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