by
John Fabel | Last Updated: December 28, 2022 There are a variety of factors involved in deciding what the best defensive driving course in Texas is, but before we get into any of that, we really need to define our terms here. By that, I mean what are we considering that the very word “best” means?
How about a literal definition, for starters? Best. “of the most excellent, effective, or desirable type of quality.” That is one literal definition of the word best, just for starters. But what are we considering the actual definition of the word starters? Okay, maybe that’s too much. Just kidding!
Suppose we break down our little definition of the word “best” and insert that into the context of the “best” defensive driving course. In that case, by “best,” we are looking for the most excellent, most effective, and most desirable defensive driving course available.
What makes something the most excellent? Excellent is defined as “extremely good; outstanding.” Basically, this means to excel and be above and beyond. To be outstanding is to stand out. So which defensive driving course stands out above the crowd? What about our old friend effective?
This word is defined as “successful in producing a desired or intended result.” In other words, does it work? And lastly, what about the word desirable? Here we have “wanted or wished for as being attractive, useful, or necessary course of action.”
Essentially, this is asking if the course is desired. Well, it needs to be a good, engaging course with a lot of positive qualities for it to be desired; especially given that usually taking a defensive driving course is an undesirable action that we are forced to do because we got a traffic citation. Yikes!
However, there are other uses for defensive driving courses, such as getting a discount on your insurance premiums and just making you a better driver in general.
So, in our opinion, what is the best defensive driving course in Texas? Here is our shortlist of approved courses in Texas, and hopefully, this will set you on your way to choosing the best course for you.
Answers in this post:
How We Chose the Best Texas Defensive Driving Course
Approved Course Texas Defensive Driving Review
A Sense of Humor Defensive Driving Review
Aceable Defensive Driving Review
IDriveSafely Review
Ticket School Review
Our Top Pick
Our Video Course Top Pick
What Does It Take to be the Best?
Before we dive into our list of the best defensive driving courses in Texas, we need to consider that the state of Texas has minimum requirements and guidelines for defensive driving courses. For example, many courses go to great lengths to brag that their course is the “shortest in Texas.” course length is a state requirement, not a special feature of that particular course.
There are other lists on the internet of the “best” defensive driving courses in Texas, but all of the lists we found in our research use these minimum state requirements as perks for each course. This doesn’t make much sense because, by law, these will be the same all across the board.
Instead, we are going to take a look at what these courses have that really set them apart from each other and also take a look at what qualities they have that make them the “best.” Remember, we are defining the best as three main things:
- Does the course go above and beyond?
- Does the course work (is it effective, approved, etc.)?
- Is the course desired?
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Texas Top 5 TDLR-Approved Defensive Driving Courses
School | Name | TDLR Ref # | Phone | Rating |
 | CP-280 | |||
 | CP-814 | |||
 | CP-262 | |||
 | CP-024 | |||
 | CP-090 |
Approved Course Texas
Approved Course Texas is amazing because it satisfies (aces, actually!) all three of these definitions of the word “best.”
Does this course go above and beyond? The answer is simply yes.
One of the things that sets these guys apart is their outstanding customer support., Whatever your question or concern, they will spend whatever time it takes to make sure that you are well taken care of. In addition to that, they offer expedited shipping services for your certificate of completion that you will need to submit to the court or your insurance company. That’s what we call above and beyond!
Does the course work? Yes, it is approved by the state of Texas (TEA & TDLR).
Not only is it approved, but it also works in that the course content is engaging and memorable. You will walk away from this course with a smile on your face and hardly realize that six hours have passed.
In this way, it is effective. Not only will you pass your exam, but you may also become a better driver and maybe even teach others to get better, too. Teach a man to fish. Teach a man to drive safely. See where we’re going with that?
Is the course desired? Yes! One person may tell a lie. We all are probably guilty of lying at some point in life about something. Don’t lie. However, when it comes to thousands and thousands of customer reviews, the chances that they are all lying are very slim.
The customer reviews for this company are incredibly high compared to most of the best defensive driving courses on our Texas list. So, as far as being the absolute best, the cream of the crop, and at the top of its game, this course takes the cake as far as we’re concerned.
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A Sense of Humor Defensive Driving
A Sense of Humor Defensive Driving is just one of the many highly rated courses on all of the lists you can dig up on Google of “top-rated defensive driving courses in Texas,” but there is a special reason that we are adding it to this list.
In addition to having engaging course content (maybe not as much as the highest-rated courses, but still very good), being state-approved, and having good customer reviews, it is one of the only courses with a very personal “About Us” section.
The backstory of this course is pretty interesting. A Sense of Humor started its life as a highly-rated classroom course based in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Then a little thing called the internet arrived, and the company closed up its brick and mortars and moved full throttle onto the information superhighway. Good news for customer convenience, bad news for all the now unemployed IRL instructors!
Long “About Us” story short, one of those displaced instructors and his son bought the online course 20 years later, and they are just as dedicated to your safety (and defensive driving fun) all these years later. You should check them out!
Hopefully, after reading this shortlist of courses, you can decide what personally makes the best defensive driving course in Texas for you.
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Aceable
Aceable.com offers a very good course that deserves to be on the “best” list.
As far as going above and beyond, this course features a mobile application that allows you to take the course easily and conveniently from your favorite mobile device.
Does it work? Yes, it is also a state-approved course.
The course content is perhaps a little less engaging than Approved Course’s content, but it is still very good and one of the best around!
As far as if the course is desired or not, this course boasts an average user rating by Trustpilot of 9.6 out of 10 based on over 18 thousand reviews! That’s pretty high and definitely worth trusting.
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I Drive Safely
I Drive Safely has been in the business of making safer drivers for over 15 years. Today they are leaders in online driver training, providing more courses and satisfied customers than any other online driving school.
Just because they’ve been in the driver training space for a long time doesn’t mean they’ve stopped their efforts to continually improve. They work constantly to perfect their courses, leveraging the latest in multimedia technology to maximize engagement and minimize boredom. What’s more, their online courses have been developed by learning theory experts and professional driving instructors to make sure you receive the latest information in the most effective format possible.
Featuring easy-to-understand chapters make their courses easy – and learning even easier.
Interactive graphics and defensive driving course material make for a fun driver safety experience.
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Ticket School
Ticket School is another sterling example of a “best course list” worthy course. This course is very simple and straightforward. The content is very engaging, and people love it. Of course, it is state-approved as well (we wouldn’t put one on this shortlist if it wasn’t). As far as desirable goes, this course fits the bill with very high average customer reviews.
Ticket School’s parent company, Driver Training Associates, has been in the defensive driving game since 1977, but they are committed to continuous improvement. Unlike other providers, Ticket School isn’t content to rest on past success but is actively adding new courses and updates to the ones they have. Talk about going above and beyond! Bottom line? If you are looking for a trusted course committed to user experience, You can’t go wrong with a course from Ticket School!
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Why YOU Should Choose Approved Course Texas!
To better answer this question, first ask yourself, “Do I want to actually learn something or just get by?” If your answer to that question is the latter, then you might want to reassess how you are spending your time! It’s certainly understandable, however, to want to get something done quickly and efficiently.
This company and their course help you with that, maybe even more so than other courses. The course has a very fluid feel and flow to it, and you kind of feel like you are whizzing by while taking the course.
The 100% video course option that is now available also has a great sense of humor to it thrown it, and that makes for a very engaging and fun study. We are also far more likely to remember things when having fun.
Like most other courses available, it is state-approved, so you don’t have to worry about all your work being wasted at the end. We cannot stress enough the importance of customer reviews, and this course has no shortage of raving reviews.
A great feature of this course is that there is also no final exam. In addition, Approved Course’s customer service is available for extended hours, so it is very easy to get in touch with someone, and they are also very fast about getting back to emails promptly.
This course is engaging, approved (hence the name!), and highly desired, satisfying (acing!) all three requirements of our definition of the “best.” That is why we recommend this course above all of the others, but by all means, please do your own research as well, but we are confident that many of your opinions will line up with ours.
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Approved Course Texas Has a Video Course, Too!
Getting Started with Approved Course Texas
Signing up for this course is very simple. First, you will need to enter some basic information, including your email address, and then you are on your way.
If you’re not sure about taking the course or have more questions before starting, you can reach out to their customer support team at 817-577-8854.
Choosing the Best Defensive Driving Course in Texas
Remember, when shopping around for the best defensive driving course in Texas, check for the basic requirements first: Is the course approved? Are they a legitimate company? Then look at their content. Is it engaging and memorable? And finally, are they a desired course? Do people love it?
We’re happy that you joined us today for this adventure to discover the best defensive driving course in Texas and that you have gained some insight and opinions of your own as well. We hope you are excited about educating yourself and others about driving defensively and safely!
John Fabel
I have a long and checkered history with defensive driving. I took my first "court invited" course at age 15 and realized immediately that there had to be a better way. Since that first experience, I have gone on to teach defensive driving classroom courses and to author four internet courses in 2 states. After nearly 25 years in the industry, I can help you find a course that will be the best fit for you.Recommended Reading
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