Ithaca Lawyer How The New York DMV finally enters 2009! Online Defensive Driving Course

I sometimes get excited about little things. Through the passage of time I have witnessed a revolution and evolution in the way law is practiced. When I practiced law in Philadelphia in the 1990s the Courts downtown were still requiring some Complaints (lawsuit) to be "typed" (they supplied old typewriters), and handed in with "carbon" based copies. In the early part of 2001 Philly was only one of a few PA cities that were beginning to process requests for police reports, and the filing of small claims with an online website.

One of the great things about Ithaca, NY is our DMV is small, fast, and relatively quiet. Compared to most big city DMVs it is practical (nice parking) and easy to get in and out of. On most days I can walk in and request a DMV driving abstract for one of my clients, and walk out with one in minutes. So why am I excited today? The NY DMV has finally approved the use of Online Driver Improvement Courses to reduce points and insurance costs. It only took till this year for the NY DMV to enter cyberspace with approved online driver improvement courses when we have been having online degrees for College diplomas for almost two decades. The University of Phoenix has offered online degrees since 1989.

I-PIRP is the acronym for Internet/Alternative Delivery Method Point and Insurance Reduction Program. They also have approved other ADM (Alternative Delivery Methods) such as courses utilizing DVDs, CDs, Video, and Cable.

I checked out the four Internet based and approved DMV course providers.

www.NewYorkSafetyCouncil.com

Cost $48.95, no mention of discounts for students, very basic "chunky" website, this is probably the lowest tech site of the four.

www.MyimprovNewYork.com

Cost $37.95, this one gets my vote for fun and funny, jokes, video, and easy to view website.
Check out this corny joke from my Improv, "S.T.O.P. stands for Slow to Observe Police"
This course is formatted for a 5th grade reading level so you will not be too mentally challenged.

www.idrivesafely.com/NY

Cost $48.95, more advanced website than NY safety council, but still compared to My Improv NY very boring! These courses are all 320 minutes in length, so for 5+ hours boring is not fun!

www.NewYorkDefensiveDriving.com

Cost $49.95 but discounts for seniors, students, military personnel, and Veterans. Very content laden, educational, and easy to use website.

So NOW you can finally spend under $40, and five hours of your life in the comfort of your home to do two important things:

1. Receive a benefit of a 4-point reduction on your NY driving record. See Below for clarification.

2. Receive a 10% insurance discount on your New York auto insurance rates.

Once you complete one of the approved programs (whether class based or I-PIRP) you will receive a certificate and a notice which will then be entered on your DMV driving record, and the DMV computer will automatically reduce your active point total by up to four points.

It is Important to remember that the completion of a course under the
I-PIRP "Internet Point & Insurance Reduction Program" or the class based program does NOT remove, delete, subtract, or erase any violation, conviction, or notice of original number of points from your driving record.

Even after you complete the course, most violations, conviction and points assessed will continue to show on your driving record for up to four years. Violations and convictions involving drugs or alcohol will remain on your driving record for ten years. "Point reduction" only means that the New York DMV will not count up to four points on your driving record toward license revocation or suspension.