Traffic school can help with a ticket, but here’s why there is more to being a safe driver
Question: Will a driving course help eliminate a poor driving record in Washington?
Answer: Yes, but probably not in the way that you’re hoping for. Generally, once you already have a poor driving record it’s too late for a driving course to directly impact your record. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea. Now, if you’ve done something in the last 15 days that will result in a future damaged driving record, you might have some options, which I’ll get to in a bit.
We often have a mindset that more experience makes you better. But that’s not always true. When I was a kid, I took a year of piano lessons, and I remember learning to play exactly one song. My lessons coincided with the release of “Star Wars,” and the only thing I wanted out of piano lessons was to play the “Star Wars” theme song. In the years that followed I continued to plink away at that one song, but didn’t learn another one.
Unfortunately for many of us, our driving experience isn’t much different. We go through driver’s ed, get what we need to pass the driver test, and over the course of the next year or so move from high-risk new driver to a point closer in line to the rest of the drivers on the road. And then our learning stops.
We keep driving the same way we have for years without considering what we could do to become better. It’s like playing the “Star Wars” theme song every day. No matter how good you thought it was when you were 7, if that’s your only song someone in the house is going quit paying for piano lessons.
What is the ultimate goal of driver training? For you personally, it might be to avoid a traffic infraction ending up on your record, but if that were the extent of the benefit, there would be no reason to offer remedial driver training. Sure, you might save some money on your insurance, but society as a whole doesn’t gain anything from that. Traffic school exists because there’s an expectation that after you complete it you’ll be a safer driver. And that does make the world better, at least a little bit.
If you’ve found yourself with a recent infraction and are hoping for a way to keep it off your record, a handful of cities and counties in Washington offer traffic school as an option. If it’s available in your situation, most likely the officer who wrote you the ticket will have told you about it. Each program has its own set of rules for eligibility and outcomes, but generally here’s what you can expect:
▪ You’ll need to apply within 15 days of receiving the infraction
▪ Traffic school is for minor traffic violations only
▪ It’s not for repeat customers — programs limit how often you can participate
▪ You’re not eligible if you’re already on a deferral for a previous traffic violation or you have an extensive driving or criminal record
▪ If you complete traffic school, your violation will be dismissed
If you have a pattern of making driving decisions that have resulted in traffic infractions, and you’re not eligible for traffic school, a driving course may still help eliminate your poor record. It won’t do it immediately, but if after taking the class your future driving habits are safer than your current ones, you’ll have decreased your odds of an infraction or a crash, and over the long term that’s the best way to fix a driving record.
