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John Fabel | Last Updated: September 19, 2022 Driving in Killeen can be challenging, with nearly 150,000 residents potentially on the road at any given time. With all the activity at nearby Fort Hood, driving can sometimes get as spicy as the salsa at Meno’s.
Killeen can be a dangerous place to drive, both physically and fiscally. Killeen averages around 2,000 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, Killeen 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. Killeen 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 Killeen? 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).
Killeen’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 Killeen is hard to find anymore. Here are a couple of schools where you can still take defensive driving in the presence of other humans
Austin Driving School
Based in Austin with locations in Temple and Waco, Austin Driving School is state-certified, bonded, and insured, offering defensive driving and many other driving courses. They also offer teen drivers ed, adult drivers ed, and courses for minor in possession offenders, DWI offenders, and drug offenders. In all of their offerings, Austin Driving School is committed to saving lives, reducing stress, and promoting responsible driving habits.
Visit AustinDrivingSchool.com for locations or call (512) 280-4499
Killeen Driving School
In addition to driver’s ed, Killeen Driving School also offers a TDLR-approved classroom defensive driving course once a month.
3810 Trimmier Rd #500 Killeen, TX 76542 or call 254-526-6699
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 Killeen
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 Killeen process for asking “pretty please” is simple: Fill out this form, wait for the court to say yes, complete the rest of the requirements on the form, and, voila, your ticket disappears!
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 possible if you hold a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) or if you have dismissed a ticket with defensive driving in the past 12 months.
Driving in Killeen
Killeen is a fairly easy town to navigate by car. People from other cities may even be jealous that the average drive time to work averages only 21.3 minutes, much better than the U.S. average of 26.4 minutes.
How people in Killeen get to work:
- 81.4% drive their own car alone
- 12.2% carpool with others
- 2.7% work from home
- 0.7% take mass transit
More Cool Stuff About Killeen
Halfway between Waco and Austin, Killeen has easy access to both Baylor and U.T. football or any of the other attractions those two cities have to offer. Not up for a mini road trip? Hang around town; there’s plenty to see and do.
- Learn the area’s history at the Bell County Museum—Dedicated to preserving the history of Bell County, the museum’s expansive collection contains over 12,000 historic and prehistoric items. Guests can view the interior of a settler’s log cabin or walk through the history of Bell County. The museum also contains the C.W. Buckellew Collection of buildings in miniature.
- Hike, fish, swim, picnic, and more at Belton Lake—The Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area (BLORA) is open year-round, covering 89 acres next to beautiful Belton Lake. Attractions include Sierra Beach, which features two 300-foot-long water slides, a kiddie splash area, picnic areas, and playground equipment. The recreation area also has a mountain biking trail, paintball facilities, basketball and volleyball courts, fishing, horseback riding, cottage rentals, and camping facilities.
- Learn something new at the Mayborn Science Theater—Experience science in a 180-seat theater that projects films onto a 60-foot domed screen. The film and laser shows cover topics such as outer space, dinosaurs, the oceans, historic inventions, and more. Also, be sure to visit the attached exhibits, which include a hurricane simulator and a retro gaming room.
No Matter Your Plans
Be careful driving to get there, whatever you decide to see or do in Killeen. 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.
