Motorcycle Insurance Articles
Knowing Whether You Qualify For A Defensive Driving Insurance Discount
2010-07-14
Defensive driver training can do more than give you piece of mind while driving; it can also help to decrease your motorcycle insurance quotes. Most major motorcycle insurance companies offer a discount for taking a defensive driving class. In order to qualify for a defensive driving discount, you will have to meet certain state requirements. Each state chooses their own requirements, but almost all state's requirements fall under three categories: age, amount of time since your last traffic ticket and your ability to pass a defensive driving class.
Several states, including but not limited to, Washington, Nebraska and Colorado, require you be older than 50 years old to qualify for a defensive driving discount. Most states that do not require you to be older than 50 years have no age requirement. The next requirement for receiving the defensive driving discount is having a clean driving record. In most cases, this means having no tickets or violations on your record for the past three years. Similarly, drivers who have been court ordered to take the defensive driving course because of a ticket are not eligible for the defensive driving discount.
The final requirement, which all states require, is that you pass a defensive driving class. These classes are most commonly available in two forms: online or in a classroom setting. The online classes are taken via video. After completing the video portion of the course, participants are required to pass a test. Those who pass the test will receive a certificate in the mail. There are a multitude of online sites that offer these very premium online classes so that you don't have to leave your home. When you complete the course with certain institutions, they present you with the option to mail your results directly to the insurance company. The online course covers approximately eight hours of material; although many people complete the course in less than four hours. If you opt to take the course in a classroom setting, it can take anywhere between six and eight hours.
Some states will not honor the defensive driving discount if you already have other discounts applied to your motorcycle insurance quote. The defensive driving discount usually amounts to $20 of your insurance; although the amount depends on the state. When receiving motorcycle insurance quotes, be sure to compare quotes with the defensive driving discount and quotes with other types of discounts. If you are looking to save money on your motorcycle insurance quote, and you have a clean driving record, the defensive driving discount can be a quick and easy to way to lower your insurance premiums.