I had a client once who was labeled high-risk after a couple of speeding tickets (nothing major, just bad luck really...). He decided to go for the defensive driving course hoping it'd help. Honestly, the discount wasn't huge—maybe 5-10% tops—but it did make a small dent. I wouldn't call it life-changing savings, but every bit counts when you're stuck paying higher premiums. Might be worth checking with your insurer first though, since they all seem to handle it differently.
Defensive driving courses can help, sure, but honestly, shopping around might make a bigger difference. I've seen insurers vary wildly on how they treat speeding tickets—some barely blink, others jack up rates. Might be worth comparing quotes before investing time in a course...
That's a fair point about shopping around—I've definitely noticed big differences between insurers myself. Still, I wouldn't completely dismiss defensive driving courses just yet. A couple of years ago, I had a speeding ticket that bumped me into the "high-risk" category, and initially, my insurer raised my rates significantly. After completing a defensive driving course, though, they did offer me a modest discount. It wasn't huge, but it helped offset some of the increase.
Of course, your mileage may vary depending on the insurer and your specific situation. I'd suggest getting quotes first to see how different companies handle your ticket. Then, if you find an insurer that's somewhat reasonable but still pricey, ask them directly if completing a defensive driving course would lower your premium enough to justify the time and cost involved. Sometimes it's worth it; other times... maybe not so much.
Has anyone actually checked if the discount from defensive driving courses outweighs the cost of the course itself? I've thought about it, but I'm always skeptical that the savings would really add up. I guess it depends how long the discount lasts too...if it's just a year or two, might not be worth the hassle. Curious if anyone has crunched the numbers on this before diving in.
I actually looked into this last year when renewing my policy. From what I found, the defensive driving course discount typically lasts around three years, at least with my insurer. For me, the savings ended up slightly outweighing the cost of the course itself, but not by a huge margin. Still, considering it also helps keep your driving record clean and might prevent future premium hikes, I'd say it's worth it—especially if you're labeled high-risk and paying higher rates already.
