Driving safety courses—also known as defensive driving or traffic school—are designed to improve a driver’s knowledge, awareness, and attitude toward driving a motor vehicle. Laws vary from state to state but in many states a driver who has been issued a traffic ticket or citation may have the ticket or citation dismissed upon successful completion of a driving safety course—whether online or in person.
In Ohio, driving safety courses, commonly referred to as remedial driving instruction, are available to drivers for various purposes, including improving driving skills, gaining knowledge about traffic laws, and promoting safer driving habits. Ohio law allows eligible drivers who have received a traffic citation to complete a state-approved driving safety course to potentially dismiss the ticket, avoid points on their driving record, or qualify for an insurance discount. The eligibility to have a citation dismissed by taking a driving safety course depends on the nature of the traffic violation, the driver's previous record, and the specific policies of the court handling the citation. Drivers should check with the court issuing the citation to understand the requirements and whether they qualify for ticket dismissal through course completion. Both online and in-person courses are available, and they must be approved by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) or the court system to be recognized for ticket dismissal or point reduction.