Traffic school and defensive driving classes are taken for many reasons.

• Removing points from your license
• Lowering insurance rates
• Fulfilling a court order
• Traffic ticket or speeding ticket dismissal
• As a condition of employment for a job that involves driving
• Brushing up on your skills

Between work and family obligations, most of us have busy lives. To spend a weekend or an evening at a defensive driving class could cause conflict. As a service to drivers, some states offer classes to be taken at home online or with DVD/VHS.

In the state of New York, they call this type of defensive driving class an I-PIRP course. I-PIRP is an acronym for the Internet/Alternate Delivery Method Point and Insurance Reduction Program. In New York, online traffic school is the most common delivery method for an I-PIRP course, but the DMV can approve other alternate delivery method such as CD, DVD, video, or cable TV classes. Check your state's DMV to see what options they have for defensive driving class.

Most states offer the video or DVD through the DMV or a list of approved private distributors. In some areas, movie stores have DVDs and videos you can rent. Your insurance agent could also have videos or DVDs available for you to borrow. Make sure that the video or DVD you get is approved by your state or insurance agent before starting the course.

Classroom courses and at-home courses have very similar content and information. Taking a home course is convenient in many ways. It lets you take the course at your own pace within the completion period, at a time that best fits your busy schedule. It also saves you time and money, since you don't need to drive to and from your defensive driving course.