Why would you want to waste a beautiful day in sunny California
stuck inside a classroom talking about driving safety? Even if you have
a traffic ticket, wouldn't it be easier to just pay the fine and get on
with your life? Perhaps. However, in many cases, the state of
California gives you the option of dismissing one traffic ticket per 18
months by taking California traffic school. If you pay the fine, you're
guilty and the ticket goes on your record. If you take traffic school
instead, the ticket it dismissed and does not appear on your driving
record at all.
Why should you be concerned about this? Each time you are convicted of
a minor traffic violation, it adds a negligent operator driving point
to your California driving record. Too many points, and you'll lose
your license for at least 6 months. How many points are too many? In
California, you are considered "negligent" after:
- 6 points in 24 months, or
However, if you attend California traffic school instead, the charge
against you will be dismissed and the violation won’t count against
you. Also, under the California Vehicle Code Section 1808.7, the fact
that the violation happened is confidential, and cannot be disclosed to
anyone other than a court. So, your insurance company will not find out
about it. Most insurance companies run a motor vehicle report (MVR) on
their customers before each renewal. If they find a violation, the
amount you pay for insurance is probably going to jump up. Once the
ticket is on your record, it stays there and continues to affect how
much you'll pay for insurance for the next 3 years. Basically,
California defensive driving class is a get out of jail free card that
keeps your record clean and keeps you from having to pay higher
insurance rates.
In some cases, the court may even order you to attend California
traffic school. For example, if you are caught not stopping at a
railroad crossing, the judge may order you to take the class instead of
just offering it as an option.
