New York Online Defensive Driving, also called I-PIRP (Internet Point and Insurance Reduction Program), can be used to either reduce your New York auto insurance by 10% and/or remove up to 4 points from your New York driving record.
It’s the same thing as traffic schools that other states have, only better. The course can be taken every 18 months for point reduction and every 36 months for insurance reduction.
Insurance companies are required by New York state law to apply the discount after course completion and the discount is good for 3 years, at which point you can take the course again. Best of all, there are no quizzes and no final exams! You can’t fail the course!
You can take your I-PIRP course in a classroom or online, which is also called Alternative Delivery Method Courses (ADM).
Compare The 3 Best New York Online Defensive Driving Schools In 2022
If you search for a New York online defensive driving course in Google, you’ll get a whole lot of results. In reality, there are only 12 online driving schools approved in the state as of 2021. I’ll give you the entire list of certified schools below, but I thought I’d also give my personal recommendations, too.
There are some real crummy schools out there, so I highly recommend you stick with the 2 recommendations below, but any of the schools listed under my full list of New York-approved defensive driving courses will work. My favorite online defensive driving course for New York is either Improv Traffic School or iDriveSafely, so I’ll start with them.
#1: iDriveSafely
iDriveSafely is certified as a New York online defensive driving course for point reduction and insurance discounts, including for I-PIRP. This is without a doubt, the highest quality course available in New York for 2022. This company has been around for over 20 years with more than 5,000,000 people who have completed the course already. They offer 24/7 customer support and they’ve maintained an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Since they are so big and have been around for so long, they’ve got money to pay programmers to keep the course updated and modern.
iDriveSafely works well on mobile devices so you can take this course from anywhere you’d like. You can also log in and out of the course anytime. They keep track of your place, so it’s a very convenient option. The course is simple to get through and is the fastest online I-PIRP course allowed by New York State law.
Want to know more? Check out my more detailed iDriveSafely Review.
Get The Best Price On iDriveSafely Here
Review #2: Improv Traffic School
Online defensive driving courses are boring, right? It doesn’t really matter if you’re doing it in a classroom or on the computer, it’s just a boring way to spend several hours of your life. The reason I rank this school at the top is that they took a comedic approach to the course. Instead of dry information and facts, they actually work in jokes, funny pictures, funny videos, and try to make this as pleasant as possible (although it still is defensive driving so there’s only so much they can do).
Not only is it a fun course, but they’ve been in business for over a decade, have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, have fantastic customer service, etc. There’s really nothing to worry about with these guys and I highly recommend them.
Improv Traffic School is not only entertaining, it is the fastest course allowed by the state of New York. As with any legit online defensive driving school in New York, they made it extremely easy to get through. Just go through the info, pass some super easy quizzes, and you’re done. Just like that, you can clean up your driving record and get a mandatory discount on your car insurance for 3 years. Not a bad deal for a little bit of your time.
Check out the video below to see the type of humor they use.
If you want to check out a super detailed review of Improv Traffic School, go to this page: Improv Traffic School Review
Get The Best Price On Improv Traffic School Here
Review #3 – New York Safety Council
First of all, this is the New York Safety Council, so of course they are reputable. As with the other New York online defensive driving courses, I have provided above, these guys provide 24/7/ customer support. In addition, they have an A rating from the BBB (not A+ but still good). With their long track record and positive online reviews, this seems like a solid choice. If you want to take your defensive driving course from a mobile or tablet device, it should be no problem by taking this course.
One really nice thing about this course is the lack of a final exam. If you’re simply not a good test taker, this could be a lifesaver for you. The quizzes and tests are also very easy. You’d really have to try and struggle to pass them. The biggest hassle you’ll have with this school is just putting the time into it, which you have to do with any school anyway.
While this wouldn’t be my top choice as it is getting a tad bit outdated, it is still one of the higher quality online defensive driving courses in New York. Out of the 12 online driving schools approved by the state of New York, I would recommend this one over pretty much any of the others.
Get The Best Price On The New York Safety Council Defensive Driving Course Here
List Of All Certified New York Online Defensive Driving Courses For 2022
In order to have points removed from your New York driving record or qualify for your mandatory insurance discount, you must sign up for an approved I-PIRP course. If you sign up for any online driving school without verifying it is an approved course in New York, you will end up wasting a lot of time and money.
While the top three courses are the ones we recommend, you can find a full list of all state-certified New York online defensive driving courses approved for the I-PIRP point reduction and insurance discount program. This list is also available on the New York DMV website.
- iDriveSafely (Recommended)
- Improv Traffic School (Recommended)
- New York Safety Council (Recommended)
- Ticket School
- New York Safety Program
- AARP
Frequently Asked Questions About New York Online Defensive Driving
Taking an online I-PIRP course in New York is a pretty straightforward process, but here are some of the more frequently asked questions if you are still wondering how an I-PIRP class works.
What is I-PIRP?
I-PIRP stands for Point and Insurance Reduction Program. You can take an I-PIRP course in a classroom or online. Both classroom courses and online courses must be approved by the State of New York Department Of Motor Vehicles Online defensive driving courses are the most widely used method for course completion, but other methods such as CD, DVD, Video, and cable TV options are available.
Who offers the I-PIRP courses?
The list above shows all of the approved online defensive driving schools which can be used to complete your I-PIRP requirements. Make sure you take a course that is approved by the state of New York. You can double check any school here: Official List Of Approved Online New York Defensive Driving Courses.
Do I receive point and insurance reduction if I take an I-PIRP course?
Yes, you can reduce your total accumulated driving points by up to 4 points. In addition, you can save 10% on your auto liability and collision insurance premiums.
How long does it take to complete an I-PIRP course?
You are required to take a minimum of 5 and 1/2 hours of instruction. Each course is timed and you will not be issued a certificate of completion until the required time has been met.
How are the classroom courses different?
If you don’t want to take an approved New York online defensive driving course, you can take the course in a classroom close to where you live. You’ll be required to complete 320 minutes of instruction which can be done during one full day session or two different evening sessions.
Can I log off and continue an I-PIRP course at a later time or use different computers for separate course sessions?
Yes, you may log in and out as many times as you’d like and your place will be saved. The only requirement is that you complete the course within 30 days of your registration date.
Are there tests or a final exam for an I-PIRP course?
Some schools do include quizzes and/or a final exam, which is one of the reasons you should pick one of my recommended schools. Neither one of those have quizzes or final exams. There are some schools where you actually have to take the final exam in person.
What if I fail the quizzes, tests or final exam?
For the courses which have a final exam, you are normally required to maintain a 70% or higher and the exam is timed. If you fail it one time, you are normally allowed a second chance. If you don’t pass the second time, you will not receive credit for the course and you will not receive point reduction or an insurance rate reduction. Once again, I must stress that you should pick from one of my recommended schools!
What is the cost of an I-PIRP course?
Unlike in many other states, each New York online defensive driving is allowed to set their own pricing. New York is one of the few states that doesn’t highly regulate pricing, so you may find large price differences between various schools.
How do I pay for an I-PIRP course?
In most cases, a credit card is required to complete the course.
How and when do I receive my course completion certificate?
Once you complete the course, the school will mail you a certificate of completion. You can’t receive a certificate of completion by email – it has to be done through regular mail. The school is required to mail the certificate within 14 business days after you completed the course. You can usually get an express mail option, but it almost always costs extra.
Does the DMV send my completion certificate directly to my automobile insurance company?
No, once you complete a New York online defensive driving, they will mail you a certificate. In order to qualify for the mandated 10% discount, you need to present the certificate and notify your insurance company that you completed an I-PIRP course.
What is done to ensure that the person who registers for the course is the person who takes the course?
Any certified New York online defensive driving is required to validate the person who registered for the course is the same person taking the course. There is no standard way that this is done and each defensive driving will have their own method of achieving this. Also, please be aware that if you’re caught trying to defraud the “system” in place, you are actually subject to prosecution including fines and while unlikely, imprisonment.