04-19-2014, 04:00 PM
[IMPRESSIONS] National Safety Council Online Defensive Driving Course
Hi everyone,
It’s time to take a Defensive Driving course to ensure I keep getting a discount on my auto insurance. Usually, I attend a class - sometimes in one day, other times over the span of a couple of sessions. Either way, I don’t look forward to it. In the long run, it’s well worth time to attend one and not just for the insurance discount. Lately, I’ve found life has become a bit too convoluted to attend a classroom course. So, for the first time, I’m going the online route. I completed the first section yesterday. Some observations…
My biggest concern about the online course was compatibility with the Mac and how it would be impacted by the speed of my Internet connection. I’ve found that some sites just don’t work as well in Safari and other Mac web browsers. It’s very annoying. Fortunately, this proved to be a non-issue on my Mac Pro under OS 10.9.2 and Safari v7.0.3 (9537.75.14). I believe the online system requires Microsoft Silverlight, just like Netflix. My machine asked me to update Silverlight the first time I visited the online course’s web site. I haven’t tried the course on my Macbook Pro under 10.9.2 or on my iPad running iOS 7. No doubt, the Macbook Pro shouldn’t have any problems. The iPad, though, remains to be seen. I’ll try it and report back. That and my connection is 50/25. Based on the type of system its using, I don’t foresee lower speed connections being an issue. Maybe if you’re on dial-up or have _seriously_ slow Internet access. But, I don’t think those with normal high speed access via DSL, a cable modem or FIOS connection shouldn’t have any problems at all.
The online class is definitely more enjoyable than the classroom course. Maybe it’s because I’m “attending” it at my convenience and in the comfort of my home. My office chair is a heckuva lot more comfortable than the crappy plastic chairs and/or school desks (often with built-in chairs) that we “enjoy” in the classroom version. The course feels more interactive than the classroom version. No doubt a classroom course is interactive but in a different way. The online version responds directly to how I answer questions and perform in the exercises and such and I’m not distracted by other attendees or stuck with a horribly boring instructor. Been there, done that. And, believe me, sometimes the other attendees are the primary reason you never want to take a defensive driving class. Ever.
One key difference between the online class and the standard classroom class is that you don’t have to do the class all at once. The online class allows you to easily pause the system when you need to take a break from it for whatever reason. I can move at my pace, as long as I complete the class in within the confines directed by NY state law. I can’t speak for other states but New York requires you spend at least 320 minutes in the class at the minimum and it must be completed within 30 days from start to finish. I think it’s 320 minutes. Either way, it takes a good amount of time.
Other observations. You can’t skip introductory items that really aren’t pertinent to the course. Same goes for instructions on how to navigate the course. Although it’s boring listening to these components, I understand why you must sit through them. I’ve never done an online course of any kind and was intrigued by how it all works. The system itself is very easy to navigate and you must interact with it. Sometimes it’s watching a video. Sometimes it’s an quiz or exercise of some kind. No skipping. And, yes, the system does quiz you at the end of the section and you must pass the quiz with an acceptable score to move on to the next section. I don’t think the results are stored or provided to the DMV.
I’m also pleased to say they’ve updated the course a bit since the last time I took it. Maybe the instructors in the class were using older version of the videos and such. The online interactive version accounts for cellular phones and even mentioned Princess Diana in one of the videos and the fact that she may have survived the accident that killed her if she’d been wearing a seatbelt. Some of the videos are the same old videos I’ve seen time and time again. Others are new to me. Unfortunately, the overall video quality is still mediocre at best. Definitely not up to the same quality standards as NetFlix or Amazon VOD.
The system also makes sure it’s really you taking the online class. They do it via telephone calls, recording of your voice and the entry of pins at the beginning and at checkpoints through the course. I was asked to make the initial call and voice recording and, during the first section, a checkpoint phone call and pin entry. I didn’t expect this and I’m glad the system recognizes my voice despite the fact I’m under the weather. But, no need to be concerned. It’s very easy.
A couple of other notes. I chose the National Safety Council course because it’s the one I’ve always attended and has been acceptable by each insurance company I’ve been with over the years - State Farm, Geico, Travelers, etc. Also, definitely make sure you see if provider of your Defensive Driving Class has a state specific course. It turns out the generic version of the course is actually nearly 50% more expensive than the New York specific version of the class. Go figure.
Robert
Hi everyone,
It’s time to take a Defensive Driving course to ensure I keep getting a discount on my auto insurance. Usually, I attend a class - sometimes in one day, other times over the span of a couple of sessions. Either way, I don’t look forward to it. In the long run, it’s well worth time to attend one and not just for the insurance discount. Lately, I’ve found life has become a bit too convoluted to attend a classroom course. So, for the first time, I’m going the online route. I completed the first section yesterday. Some observations…
My biggest concern about the online course was compatibility with the Mac and how it would be impacted by the speed of my Internet connection. I’ve found that some sites just don’t work as well in Safari and other Mac web browsers. It’s very annoying. Fortunately, this proved to be a non-issue on my Mac Pro under OS 10.9.2 and Safari v7.0.3 (9537.75.14). I believe the online system requires Microsoft Silverlight, just like Netflix. My machine asked me to update Silverlight the first time I visited the online course’s web site. I haven’t tried the course on my Macbook Pro under 10.9.2 or on my iPad running iOS 7. No doubt, the Macbook Pro shouldn’t have any problems. The iPad, though, remains to be seen. I’ll try it and report back. That and my connection is 50/25. Based on the type of system its using, I don’t foresee lower speed connections being an issue. Maybe if you’re on dial-up or have _seriously_ slow Internet access. But, I don’t think those with normal high speed access via DSL, a cable modem or FIOS connection shouldn’t have any problems at all.
The online class is definitely more enjoyable than the classroom course. Maybe it’s because I’m “attending” it at my convenience and in the comfort of my home. My office chair is a heckuva lot more comfortable than the crappy plastic chairs and/or school desks (often with built-in chairs) that we “enjoy” in the classroom version. The course feels more interactive than the classroom version. No doubt a classroom course is interactive but in a different way. The online version responds directly to how I answer questions and perform in the exercises and such and I’m not distracted by other attendees or stuck with a horribly boring instructor. Been there, done that. And, believe me, sometimes the other attendees are the primary reason you never want to take a defensive driving class. Ever.
One key difference between the online class and the standard classroom class is that you don’t have to do the class all at once. The online class allows you to easily pause the system when you need to take a break from it for whatever reason. I can move at my pace, as long as I complete the class in within the confines directed by NY state law. I can’t speak for other states but New York requires you spend at least 320 minutes in the class at the minimum and it must be completed within 30 days from start to finish. I think it’s 320 minutes. Either way, it takes a good amount of time.
Other observations. You can’t skip introductory items that really aren’t pertinent to the course. Same goes for instructions on how to navigate the course. Although it’s boring listening to these components, I understand why you must sit through them. I’ve never done an online course of any kind and was intrigued by how it all works. The system itself is very easy to navigate and you must interact with it. Sometimes it’s watching a video. Sometimes it’s an quiz or exercise of some kind. No skipping. And, yes, the system does quiz you at the end of the section and you must pass the quiz with an acceptable score to move on to the next section. I don’t think the results are stored or provided to the DMV.
I’m also pleased to say they’ve updated the course a bit since the last time I took it. Maybe the instructors in the class were using older version of the videos and such. The online interactive version accounts for cellular phones and even mentioned Princess Diana in one of the videos and the fact that she may have survived the accident that killed her if she’d been wearing a seatbelt. Some of the videos are the same old videos I’ve seen time and time again. Others are new to me. Unfortunately, the overall video quality is still mediocre at best. Definitely not up to the same quality standards as NetFlix or Amazon VOD.
The system also makes sure it’s really you taking the online class. They do it via telephone calls, recording of your voice and the entry of pins at the beginning and at checkpoints through the course. I was asked to make the initial call and voice recording and, during the first section, a checkpoint phone call and pin entry. I didn’t expect this and I’m glad the system recognizes my voice despite the fact I’m under the weather. But, no need to be concerned. It’s very easy.
A couple of other notes. I chose the National Safety Council course because it’s the one I’ve always attended and has been acceptable by each insurance company I’ve been with over the years - State Farm, Geico, Travelers, etc. Also, definitely make sure you see if provider of your Defensive Driving Class has a state specific course. It turns out the generic version of the course is actually nearly 50% more expensive than the New York specific version of the class. Go figure.
Robert