Tag Archive: florida traffic school
Mandatory Traffic School
January 11, 2012
Is mandatory traffic school truly mandatory? In most states, drivers who have been ticketed have the option of attending traffic school if they want the points for their driving infraction removed from their driving record. However, some states make attendance at traffic school mandatory for certain serious infractions. In Florida, a driver will be ordered to attend mandatory traffic school if he or she is guilty of infractions such as: running a red light, failing to stop for a school bus while its stop lights are flashing, racing on the highways, reckless driving, or simply if the driver is a repeat offender of a minor traffic violation.
If a driver is given a traffic ticket and found guilty of one of the listed violations, they will receive notice from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles of the requirement to attend a mandatory traffic school.
Here’s how one could satisfy the court’s requirements:
Find out what the court is exactly requiring you to do – Find out the deadline period of completion, find out where you could take your mandatory traffic school.
Look for a good traffic school – One that is court-approved. The student has an option of an online traffic school, or attending online traffic school, or the classroom traffic school.
Learn – Put in the effort to learn how to change your driving behavior. Thing is, driving school is a great way to refresh a driver’s knowledge on driving. It’s also a great way to learn new ways to change their driving behavior and prevent getting another ticket or worse, being involved in a serious collision.
Upon completion, submit your requirements to the court – The state allows 90 days for a driver to complete mandatory traffic school. Find the time to complete it, get the certificate of completion, and submit it to the court immediately.
Points are only removed if a student “elects” to go to traffic school.
Answering Driving Questions from Yahoo! Answers: Florida Traffic Ticket Edition
November 24, 2010
Yahoo! Answers is a great way to get your questions answered through the large community of Yahoo. In this series of articles, we will tackle questions that are asked on a weekly basis about driving in Florida. We will focus on traffic tickets for this article. Whether the question is on the ticket itself or on the process of receiving a ticket in Florida and finding out your available options, these are some of the most frequently asked questions about traffic tickets and their answers. Odds are you’ve probably come across these questions or variations on them.
Q. “Should you wait for the mail notification before you do something about your ticket?”
A. No. Any Florida driver that receives a traffic ticket, including a speeding ticket, has 30 days to select an option for satisfying their citation. One way for a driver to determine what their options are for satisfying a pending ticket is by checking the website of the county where the citation was received. Offenders can accept the points on their licenses, request a court date, or, if eligible, attend traffic school to prevent points from being assessed on their license.
Q. “When you opt for traffic school, does it remove points from your driving record? Do you still have to pay for the ticket?”
A. If the option is available for a driver after receiving a traffic ticket and they are eligible, then traffic school will prevent the points from being applied to an individual’s driving record. And yes, the driver still has to pay for the ticket.
Q. “If I get a ticket while visiting another state, will it apply in my home state?”
A. Yes. Though different states have their own DMV office, a driver’s home state DMV will be notified if a ticket has been issued from a different state. What will usually happen is the driver will be required to settle the ticket in the county where the citation was originally from. The penalties that will apply will also refer to the laws from the state where the ticket was received. Including traffic school: if the driver elects to attend traffic school to clear the points, he will have to attend one that the county where the ticket was issued will accept.
While most people want to avoid a traffic ticket, it is helpful to know a little bit about how the process works. Remember it is best to take care of a traffic ticket early. Failing to pay for a traffic ticket, or not completing the requirements of traffic school will cause your drivers license to be suspended and can cause warrants for your arrest.
Learn more about Florida online traffic school to dismiss your traffic ticket.
Reinstatement Requirements for a Suspended Driver’s License
December 25, 2009
If you find yourself in the difficult position of having your driver’s license suspended for too many points or traffic violations, it’s important to follow the proper steps to regain it. Most drivers who lose their licenses for any length of time hope never to repeat the experience, but drivers who have recently had their license suspended are often at high risk of having it suspended again.
First, do not drive on your suspended license, and if you have a hardship license, do not violate the terms specified on the license. If you get caught driving on a suspended license because you commit a violation or are in a crash, your situation will only deteriorate.
Use a small notebook to keep a checklist of the tasks you must complete to get your license back. These tasks may include updating your address with the Department of Motor Vehicles, going to court one or more times, paying fines and/or fees, and/or taking one or more driver education classes.
Take your notebook to every court hearing or DMV appointment so you can record all the information you get in one place. Keep the notebook handy when you make phone calls about your license too. If you call the DMV and get transferred, ask the person who assists you for their name and extension number in case you need to call back later. Make notes of what you’re told and review them before you hang up.
You may feel frustrated if you have to attend traffic school, but this is a good time to review your driving habits and decide how to change them to avoid a future suspension. Try to keep an open mind during the course. You may pick up some tips that will help keep you and your family safe.
Drivers who accumulate several traffic violations over a short period of time are often under considerable stress. Speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, running stop signs and traffic lights, and cutting off other drivers are ways that some people release aggression and relieve stress. It’s important to find positive, healthy, legal ways to reduce stress such as exercise, talking problems out with friends or a counselor, and taking time for yourself every day, so you won’t take your problems out on the road.
After your license is reinstated, you’ll want to be on your best driving behavior. Try to turn a negative into a positive by learning from the experience of having your license suspended. This will give you the best chance of improving your driving record and avoiding future problems.
Mandatory Florida Traffic School for Passing a School Bus
November 3, 2009
Effective October 2009, the State of Florida has taken steps to improve the safety of children riding on school buses. A new law has gone into effect which will require motorists to attend a basic driver improvement course or a Florida Traffic School course should they fail to stop for a school bus loading or unloading children. This action comes in conjunction with the observance of National School Bus Safety Week which is designed to raise awareness of the dangers children face from other motorists on the road. This year’s theme is “Avoid Harm, Obey the Stop Arm”. It reminds drivers to stop when the school bus deploys the red flashing lights and stop arm.
Florida’s public schools transport over one million students a day on school buses. School buses are recognized as one of the safest ways to travel to and from school. Even so, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reports an average of 20 school age children are killed in transportation related accidents each year, with the majority of deaths occurring during loading and unloading. The afternoon hours between 3 and 4 p.m. accounted for 32 percent of the fatalities.
The results of a study conducted by the Center for Urban Transportation Research identified the need for increased driver education and tougher enforcement in Florida. With this new law, the penalties of passing a stopped school bus loading and unloading children will increase. The cost of the fine has gone up by $65 and motorists are now required to attend a four hour Basic Driver Improvement Course. The course serves as a refresher on defensive driving techniques and an explanation of new laws. It must be completed within 90 days of receipt of the notice from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Failure to complete the driver improvement course within the time limit will result in the suspension of the driver’s license.
From the 2009 Florida Driver Handbook: https://www.lowestpricetrafficschool.com/handbooks/driver/en/3/7
School Buses
On a two way street or highway, all drivers moving in either direction must stop for a stopped school bus which is picking up or dropping off children. You must always stop if you are moving in the same direction as the bus and you must remain stopped until the bus stop arm is withdrawn.
If the highway is divided by a raised barrier or an unpaved median at least five feet wide, you do not have to stop if you are moving in the opposite direction of the bus. Painted lines or pavement markings are not considered barriers.
You must always stop if you are moving in the same direction as the bus and you must continue until the bus stop arm is withdrawn.
When school is in session, drivers need to be extra alert. Children are always unpredictable and you can not take anything for granted. Slow down, look left, look right and left again. Then proceed slowly with caution.
Be on the lookout for children as you travel and expect the unexpected. Remember to “Avoid Harm, Obey the Arm”.