The Florida Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) Course, which is also referred to as Florida traffic school, is a four-hour course that is approved by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). This Ticket School course is offered online and provides numerous benefits for Florida drivers.
Course Material
The Florida BDI course is conveniently offered 100% online by Ticket School, and is mobile device friendly. Whether you prefer to take the course on your desktop computer, phone or tablet, it is available in a clear and easy to use format. For more information please visit our How the Florida BDI Course Works Page.
Course materials are presented in an accessible way, including videos and animations to enhance interest and make it easy for you to keep your mind on the material. Since few people have the option of carving out a solid four-hour block to take the course, many look for flexible options that allow them to access the course at any time and for as long or as little as they wish.
Benefits of Ticket School’s BDI Course
There are many reasons Florida drivers may wish to use Ticket School to complete the Florida BDI course. One major reason is that taking this course can significantly improve safe driving skills and it is a great tool for drivers who may not be feeling very confident about their abilities. For this reason, many businesses incentivize or require their employers and contractors to complete this four-hour course.
Another reason that many Florida drivers turn to Ticket School is that they may have received a ticket for a moving violation. Taking the BDI course voluntarily to meet a court requirement can prevent points from a ticket from going on your driving record.
While a moving violation typically results in rising car insurance premiums, Florida law forbids insurance companies from raising, canceling, or failing to renew a policy for a traffic ticket when the driver chooses to take the BDI course. The only exception to this rule is if the driver was ruled to be culpable in a crash.
Some car insurance carriers may even offer a discount to drivers who take the BDI course on their own, without having gotten a ticket or been ordered to by a court or DHSMV. Contact your insurance company to find out if they offer this benefit and to determine your eligibility and the amount of discount available.
When Is a BDI Course Mandatory?
There are some instances when the completion of a BDI course will be ordered by a court or by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). In such a case, failing to comply may result in the loss of your driver’s license. A common circumstance in which the State may order a driver to complete the four-hour course is when the driver has been in two car crashes within two years, or was in a crash that damaged property or caused injuries. In such a case, the DHSMV will send a letter to the driver with an order to complete the course. In these circumstances, the BDI course may be referred to instead as a Traffic Collision Avoidance Course (TCAC).
There are several other violations that do not involve crashes but that can result in a letter from the DHSMV requiring the driver to attend a four-hour course. Most often, these include violations such as racing on a highway, reckless driving, running a red light, or passing a stopped school bus. If you are cited for one of these violations but not ordered to attend a course, signing up for the BDI can still be a smart move that can keep points from being assessed for your ticket and keep your insurance premiums from rising.
Who May Not Take the BDI Course?
Pursuant to Florida law, a driver who is a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) holder, which is the type of license required for commercial truck driving and other commercial purposes, cannot mitigate a traffic ticket by taking the BDI course, even if he or she was not driving a commercial vehicle at the time of the citation. However, being a CDL holder doesn’t guarantee that you can’t take a BDI course. In some cases the court / judge can grant permission, so it is always worth making the request.
Taking the Florida BDI course can provide benefits for almost all Florida drivers, including those without tickets, drivers who have been cited, and drivers who have been ordered to attend the course. Florida law provides some of these benefits by allowing for point removal for most tickets and by prohibiting auto insurance companies from penalizing drivers for tickets that were dismissed through completing Ticket School’s BDI course. Other benefits may be provided voluntarily by insurance companies and employers who wish to encourage safe driving. Taking the BDI course is also a great idea for any driver wanting to improve their safe driving techniques.