by
John Fabel | Last Updated: October 15, 2023 With nearly 195,000 residents potentially on the road at any given time, driving in Grand Prairie can be challenging. Nestled between Arlington and Dallas, driving can sometimes get as spicy as the salsa at Guanataco.
Grand Prairie can be a dangerous place to drive, both physically and fiscally. Grand Prairie averages 3,300 collisions annually, 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 U.S., 100,000 speeding tickets are written every day, and, no doubt, Grand Prairie 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. Grand Prairie 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 Grand Prairie? 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 confidently choose any of them as they are fully certified by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
Grand Prairie’s 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 Grand Prairie is hard to find anymore. However, 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. In addition, 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 all courts accept their course in Texas for ticket dismissal.
To contact the folks at Ballard, you can 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 Grand Prairie
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 Grand Prairie 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 Grand Prairie
Located just to the west of Dallas, drivers in Grand Prairie have access to the Metroplex’s excellent highway system, but all of these freeways 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 Grand Prairie
There’s no question that you can use Grand Prairie as your starting point to see all of the things the Metroplex has to offer; you could do just as well by simply staying inside the city limits.
Things to See and Do in Grand Prairie
- Catch a Sport New to Texas—Coming in early 2022, the former AirHogs stadium will be repurposed for major league cricket. The sport, not the critter that keeps Texans awake on many a summer’s evening.
- Spin Your Wheels—At Action Park, a first-class competitive skate park for in-line skating, biking, and skateboarding. The park currently includes three separate areas:
- The Hangar, a 17,000-square-foot covered skate park
- The Trails, two acres of dirt jumps and trails for BMX enthusiasts for beginner to pro
- The Pro Course, a 20,000-square-foot skate-able place with mini ramps, box jumps, and more.
- Cheer on the Ponies—Grand Prairie is home to Lone Star Park, one of only a handful of horse racetracks in the Lone Star State.
- See Things Bizarre (and Meltable!)—At a single location just off I-30, you’ll find the Grand Prairie’s Ripley’s Believe It or Not “Odditorium” and Louis Tussaud’s Palace of Wax.
- One Man’s Junk…—Traders Village, a Grand Prairie staple since 1973, is an open-air flea market featuring everything from auto accessories to furniture to toys to clothing to jewelry to other truly unique finds. The Village also boasts amusement park rides and a wide range of food options.
No Matter Your Plans
Whatever you decide to see or do in Grand Prairie, 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.
| #1 Choice in TX! |
