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John Fabel | Last Updated: September 21, 2022 With over 1.3 million residents potentially on the road at any given time, driving in Dallas can be challenging. In the third-largest city in Texas, driving “across town” can mean being behind the wheel for an hour or more. Throw in the fact that Dallas is not an island—there are approximately 7 million folks in the greater Metroplex area. With all those extra drivers, a commute can get as spicy as the salsa at Mi Cocina.
Dallas can be a dangerous place to drive, both physically and fiscally. Dallas averages 35-40,000 collisions per year, with nearly a third resulting in injuries or fatalities.
Since most accidents are caused by a failure to control speed, law enforcement does its best to slow this trend by writing tickets. In the US, 100,000 speeding tickets are written every day, and, no doubt, Dallas drivers get their fair share. At an average cost of $150 a ticket, the nation’s speeders pay out nearly $5.5 billion dollars in fines, and each of them faces a 22-25% increase in their car insurance premiums for the next three years.
All of these costs could be drastically reduced with better driving by all. Dallas drivers can bring these numbers down by taking defensive driving (also known in Texas as a “driver safety course”). Tips and reminders of how to navigate the roads safely are the main topics of any driving course. The stated purpose of a TDLR-approved course is to teach drivers to “change their perceptions, attitudes, and skills to make Texas roads and highways a safer place to drive.” Other benefits of taking a defensive driving course include ticket dismissal and insurance savings, all at a reasonable cost.
The Easiest Way to Take Defensive Driving in Dallas? Do it Online
With the hectic pace of life, the easiest way to complete a course is to take it online. The ability to work at your own pace from your own place makes it the most convenient way, too. Any of the schools listed below offer courses approved for ticket dismissal and/or insurance discount. And you can choose any of them with confidence as they are fully certified by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
Dallas Best TDLR-Approved Online Defensive Driving Providers
School | Name | TDLR Ref # | Phone | Sign Up |
 | CP-814 | |||
 #1 in TX! | CP-280 | |||
 | CP-262 | |||
 | CP-024 | |||
  | CP-090 |
Online Not for You?
We understand that learning online is not everybody’s preference. If you prefer to “get your learnin’ live,” you can still get out and take defensive driving in a classroom.
Depending on the school, classroom defensive driving has always been fun; being in the presence of humans again might even make it more so. Now I’m not gonna lie; classroom defensive driving in Dallas is hard to find anymore. Here are some schools where you can still make that happen.
ComedyGuys.com
According to their website, Comedy Guys has been “teaching its state-approved defensive driving Texas classes, helping people get tickets dismissed while having some food and fun.” In Dallas, that food and fun can be had at Marshall’s BBQ in Carrolton.
Check ComedyGuys.com for other locations or call (877) 826-6339 for more information.
First Class Driver
Whether you are looking to get your license, needing to remove a traffic ticket, or considering making driving a full-time or part-time profession, First Class Driver is the place to start. First Class is a full-service driving center making it easy and fun to get behind the wheel. They have helped thousands of people enjoy the fun and freedom of being a safe, licensed driver.
4255 Bryant Irvin Rd Ste 105, Fort Worth, TX 76109 or call (817) 731-0200
Ballard Defensive Driving School
According to their website, the folks at Ballard have “made defensive driving Incredibly fun & easy with comedy” since 1998. They offer a great way to complete defensive driving for auto insurance reduction or traffic ticket dismissal. Ballard Defensive Driving School is State Approved, and their course is accepted by all courts in Texas for ticket dismissal.
To contact them you may Zoom Call at 6 pm CST then call (972) 222-6088 after you watch the zoom
Major League Driving School
First opened in 1997, Major League Driving School is family owned and operated, offering a TDLR-approved defensive driving course. With locations in Mesquite and Terrell, it’s convenient to make it to your driving class. Their knowledgeable staff is state-certified, experienced, and supportive as you learn how to become a safer, better driver.
1200 E Davis St Ste 103, Mesquite, TX 75149 or call (972) 289-5400, or you can find them on Facebook
In the bygone B.C. (before Covid) days, schools like Comedy Guys, Funny Bone, and My Improv were famous for their defensive driving classes that were more or less dinner and a show. Hopefully, they’ll be back soon.
If You Have Received a Ticket in Dallas
Defensive driving courses can be used to improve driving skills and earn insurance discounts, but the benefit most people look for is ticket dismissal.
The first step to taking defensive driving is receiving permission to do so. The Dallas process for asking “pretty please” can happen:
Dismissal for most citations is possible unless the ticket was written:
- For speeding 25 miles per hour (or more) over the posted limit
- Passing a stopped school bus
- In a posted construction zone while workers are present
- Leaving the scene of an accident
- Fleeing police
Ticket dismissal is also not a possibility if you are the holder of a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) or if you have dismissed a ticket with defensive driving in the past 12 months.
Driving in Dallas
Dallas is home to an excellent highway system, but they all seem to come with confusing nicknames. Let’s break down a few.
If you are driving on:
- Interstate 20 west of 635, you’re on the Ronald Reagan Freeway. (To make things more confusing, there’s one of these in Houston, too.)
- Interstate 30 (east of Interstate 35W) you’re on the East Freeway
- Interstate 30 (west of Interstate 35W) you’re on the West Freeway
- Interstate 30 (from west of downtown Dallas to downtown Fort Worth) you’re on the Tom Landry Freeway
- Interstate 35E (south of downtown) and Interstate 30 (east of downtown) you’re on R.L. Thornton
- Interstate 635 you’re on LBJ
- Texas 161 you’re on the President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT)Why no traffic reporter has referred to this roadway as “the Pig Butt” yet is still beyond me
And don’t even get me started on the S.M. Wright Freeway or the Julius Schwepps or the Marvin D. Love or the John Carpenter. Who were all these guys anyway?!?
More Cool Stuff About Dallas
Besides its wide variety of peculiarly named freeways, Texas’ thirteenth-largest city has a lot to offer. The city of Dallas boasts more than 30,000 hotel rooms to accommodate its nearly 25 million annual visitors. What’s bringing all these folks to Big D? Maybe it’s…
- The Sports—Dallas is home to six professional sports teams
- The Dallas Cowboys (NFL)
- The Dallas Stars (NHL)
- The Dallas Mavericks (NBA)
- The Dallas Wings (WNBA)
- FC Dallas (MLS)
- The Texas Rangers (MLB) not to mention
- NASCAR and Indy racing at the Texas Motor Speedway
- The Inventions
- The frozen margarita machine
- The first semi-conducting microchip
- America’s first planned shopping center (Highland Park Village)
- The first convenience store (7-11)
- The term “Superbowl”
- The “Everything’s Bigger in Texas” Stuff
- The 52 foot talking ‘Big Tex’ statue that welcomes visitors every year to the State Fair of Texas
- Cowboys Stadium—With the convertible top closed, big enough to house the Statue of Liberty. Also home to the biggest stadium video screen in the country
- In December, the Dallas Galleria is home to the world’s tallest indoor Christmas tree
- The Celebrities Born Here
- Angie Harmon
- Luke and Owen Wilson
- Lee Trevino
- Norah Jones
- Erykah Badu
- Jessica Simpson
- The Movies and TV Made here
- Dallas (no surprise there)
- Silkwood
- Places in the Heart
- RoboCop
- Born on the Fourth of July
- Walker, Texas Ranger
- Prison Break
Whatever you decide to see in Dallas, be careful driving to get there. Getting around Dallas can pose some traffic challenges. Consider taking a defensive driving course to make sure you get to your “whatever” safely.
