Defensive Driving in Denton

by John Fabel | Last Updated: February 24, 2021

With nearly 140,000 residents potentially on the road at any given time, driving in Denton can be challenging. In the bustling home of the University of North Texas, driving can sometimes get as spicy as the salsa at the Chuys.

Denton can be a dangerous place to drive, both physically and fiscally. Denton averages around 3,300 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, Denton 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. Denton 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 Denton? Do it Online

Since there’s no way of knowing if the world will ever return to a “pre-Covid normal,” the easiest (and safest) way to complete a course would be to take one 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 that they are fully certified by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).

Denton’s Best TDLR-Approved Online Defensive Driving Providers

Tired of Being Cooped Up?

If you’ve seen enough of the inside of your house lately, you can still get out and take defensive driving in a classroom. Be ready to mask up and work around some limited schedules, but these guys are still “doing the deal.”

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 Denton is hard to find anymore. Here’s one school we found where you can still take defensive driving in the presence of other humans.

Trinity Defensive Driving DFW

Trinity Defensive Driving DFW offers TDLR-approved defensive driving classes good for ticket dismissal and insurance discount.

420 E McKinney St, Denton, TX 76209 or call 214-504-5845

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 Denton

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 Denton process for asking “pretty please” is outlined on the City of Denton website.

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 Denton

Denton is a fairly easy town to navigate by car and, because of that, the average one-way commute to work is only 23.8 minutes, beating the US average of 26.4 minutes.

How people in Denton get to work:

• 77.1% drive their own car alone
• 10.1% carpool with others
• 4.6% work from home
• 1.7% take mass transit

More Cool Stuff About Denton

With the nearby I-35 split, Denton’s location gives it easy access to the many attractions found in both Dallas and Fort Worth, but there is much for tourists and locals to do in and around town. Take advantage of these local sights to see:

• The Bayless-Selby House Museum where you can experience life as a well-to-do Texan in the 19th century
• The Campus Theatre, a former 40’s era movie house turned performing arts venue in 1995
• The Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center where you can wander nearly eight miles of nature trails through grasslands, wetlands, prairies, and bottomland hardwood forests.
• The Courthouse Museum-on -the-Square and marvel at the three-story courthouse’s tan sandstone façade accented by pink granite columns all set off by an impressive clock tower
• Catch a show at the Denton Community Theatre
• Learn something new at the Denton County African American Museum or the Denton Firefighters’ Museum

No Matter Your Plans

Whatever you decide to see or do in Denton, be careful driving to get there. Without question, the driving environment here can pose some real traffic challenges. Consider taking a defensive driving course to make sure you get to your “whatever” 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.