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John Fabel | Last Updated: November 29, 2021 We’ve all heard the term defensive driving. Maybe you’ve even taken a course yourself. Maybe you’re like me and took it to dismiss a ticket. Maybe you’re more like my dad and took it to lower your insurance rates. You might recall that taking a course like this can be a real drag. You have to have a lot of patience going in. This is especially true if you’re taking it as a “have to” and not a “want to.”
If you were unfortunate enough to pick a stinker the last time you chose a defensive driving course, there is hope for you this time around. If you sat through your last course wondering aloud whether defensive driving really has to be this painful, I have some good news: It doesn’t.
Thankfully, there is a company out there that makes defensive driving fun to sit through. Comedy Defensive Driving delivers solid content infused with a healthy dose of humor. Their approach makes you want to learn more as well as giving you a few laughs along the way.
So, if you’re looking to find a great place to take your defensive driving course with ease and humor, buckle in while we tell you a little more about these guys.
Why Comedy Defensive Driving is Different
Let me start by pointing out the fact that time crawls when you’re paying attention to it. Defensive driving courses in Texas are required to be six hours long. Six. Hours. Long. Think of all of the other things that you can accomplish in six hours: you can detail your car, write a short story, refurbish something, repair your roof, bake a cake, smoke a brisket, or any of about a million other things.
There is an old saying that “a watched pizza delivery guy never comes.” OK, so that’s not an actual old saying, but it’ll do for now. The fact is that time crawls when we are waiting for something to happen instead of doing something.
Think about it; when was the last time you were having so much fun that you didn’t even realize how much time had passed? What were you doing? You probably were taking a defensive driving course, right? Record scratch! Just kidding. You probably don’t typically associate having to take a defensive driving class with having a lot of fun, but this course is a real exception. Let’s dive right into the specifics and even the origins of this hilarious defensive driving course: Comedy Defensive Driving.
A Little About Comedy Defensive Driving
Comedy Defensive Driving has produced over three million defensive driving graduates since its launch in 1989. The company offers courses both in classrooms and online. The online option is what people typically choose. This option is more convenient in that you can start and stop at your own pace, and you don’t even have to get dressed (unless you’re using the wifi at your local coffee house).
Like any startup, Comedy Defensive Driving started small but, unlike other companies that have grown the way they have, they’ve stayed that way. The Comedy Defensive Driving staff is comprised of seven members (if you count Buddy the border collie). Keeping things this intimate allows them to focus on what they do best. They are not mass-manufacturing, so their quality of content is much higher than average.
There are two states where this course is approved: Texas and Florida. That might be because other states can’t contain the level of hilarious shooting out of this course, but that has not been proven. While not the perfect course, it certainly has a lot of strengths. Let’s take a look, shall we?
What are People Saying about Comedy Defensive Driving?
One of the reasons I admire this company is its transparency. Their site claims that 93% of customers rate their experience as being 4- or 5-star. Knowing that many people might be skeptical of “take our word for it,” Comedy Defensive Driving posts all of the company’s reviews in a searchable and sortable format. Let’s sort by negative reviews first and take a look at what we find. Now, this might seem unconventional to you (because it is) to explain why this course is so good through negative reviews. That being said, we’re going to take a crack at it anyway. It will make sense later (maybe!).
For whatever reason, I start every product search this way. There are times when a 1-star review is legit. Other times it’s just fun to read the ridiculous reasons people find to complain.
For example, the first negative review on the Comedy Defensive Driving site simply states the following: “I didn’t like the course.” Well, that’s a bummer! Let’s break that review down a little bit. There was no reason given, only that this individual didn’t like the course.
To be effective, communication must touch on two important things—the how and the why. How did you find the course? Why didn’t you like it? It’s hard to consider the integrity of an opinion when the comment doesn’t give any frame of reference.
My favorite negative feedback is quite possibly “N/A.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, this abbreviation is to be used “when you cannot give a relevant answer to a question.” So no real reason for low marks. Guess they just felt like it.
Another golden 1-star review says “took too long…” Well, seeing as how this course is required to be six hours long BY LAW, it only seems fair that the reviewer should take it out on the defensive driving company. Then again, if he’d just followed another law, he might have avoided taking the course in the first place…
Flipping the rankings around yielded some interesting results as well. One 5-star rating stated: “The examples pictures helped but I need an example of the left foot right display. I did not get it…the content was excellent, funny and exciting. ..” This is the perfect example of someone who knows how to rate something; they offered why they liked it as well as constructive criticism.
Here is an example of another 5-star review from a happy customer: “So funny. Would speed again.” This maybe is missing the overall point of the defensive driving aspect of the course, but at least he had a good time taking it!
How Do I Take Comedy Defensive Driving?
The golden instructions to sign up for Comedy Defensive Driving has been kept an ancient secret for hundreds of years between the great defensive driving Samurais, and the only way to sign up is…. Okay, just kidding.
Registration for Comedy Defensive Driving is actually super simple. Step one is to select your reason for taking the course, for ticket dismissal, insurance only, or work purposes. You’ll then select your certificate delivery method. If you have the time to wait, standard USPS delivery is included in the price of the course. If you are “on the clock,” you can get your certificate overnighted for $24.95 or in a printable format for $7.95. This last one is only possible because of a recent change in Texas law. I wonder how much money FedEx and UPS have lost in the last few months since Texas has finally decided to join the rest of us in the 21st century?
Once you’re in, completing the course is a matter of watching a series of humorous videos and answering a few questions along the way. The course culminates in a simple and straightforward final exam. Knowing what I do about the state approval process, I was impressed by how entertaining Comedy Defensive Driving had made their course in light of the dry material they had to cover.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Whether you decide on Comedy Defensive Driving as your course provider or choose another, make sure that the one you select has been state-approved. We would hate for you to fight through completing a course only to have your court not accept it!
To Wrap Things Up
For a solid course that “ticks all the boxes,” it’s tough to beat Comedy Defensive Driving. With an easy-to-use interface and a memorable and light-hearted approach to a serious subject, you will seem to finish in far less time than the state requires. In the unlikely event that you get stuck somewhere along the way, their website has an extensive FAQ page. If you can’t find the help you need there, customer support can be readily accessed by phone, email, or online chat.
