What goes down, must come up: A quick look at fluctuating traffic ticket stats across America

March 6, 2009

At TrafficSchoolOnline.com, we're constantly scouring the news for interesting stories and statistics related to road safety and traffic violations.

Last month, we reported that the number of speeding violations in Missouri in 2008 had dropped by 8.7%. While many drivers looking to reduce their traffic tickets at TrafficSchoolOnline.com thought that the report out of Missouri meant that traffic officers would be absent the next time they hit the road, they might want to think again before they put the pedal to the metal.

All it takes is a quick view of the morning papers from across the country to see what's happening on the road in some communities.

While Missouri may have reported a drop in traffic violations, others have reported an increase in issued tickets. The Vicksburg, Mississippi Police Department reported a 47% increase in traffic tickets issued in 2008 over 2007.

According to officials, most of the 9,559 tickets issued were for speeding, failing to wear a seatbelt and driving without insurance.

Almost 10,000 traffic tickets. That's the bad news.

The good news in all of this is that the number of traffic fatalities reported by the same police department has decreased by 50% over the last three years.

So what's the lesson in all of this? At TrafficSchoolOnline.com, we believe that traffic tickets help remind drivers that speeding can not only get you into trouble, but it can also disrupt your day and present an incredible inconvenience.

And we also believe that getting a traffic ticket deters drivers from violating traffic laws again.

What we don't believe, however, is that paying your traffic ticket and calling it a day is the best way to learn from your mistakes.

That's why we pioneered America's first online traffic school and defensive driving school program in 1997. We wanted to give drivers a way to dismiss their traffic ticket, reduce fines, and eliminate points on their record from the comfort of their own home without having to jump through the proverbial hoops otherwise known as the state court and traffic school systems.

More importantly, we wanted to create a system that would not only deter drivers from behaving unsafe behind the wheel, but one that that would teach drivers why the actions that led to being pulled over by the police were wrong.

The online traffic school and defensive driving courses at TrafficSchoolOnline.com are 100% state-approved and recognized by the courts. They've also been designed with the help of industry experts to ensure that what's being taught is up-to-date, relevant and informative.

We believe that an online traffic school and online defensive driving program does more for driver safety than simply paying a ticket and driving away could ever do. Thanks to our intuitive, one-on-one traffic school course, we believe that drivers gain more knowledge than they would in an in-class traffic school course – and definitely more knowledge than they would gain by just paying their ticket and hoping for the best.

To find out how you can reduce your fine, keep your insurance rates in check, and learn something about road safety, visit TrafficSchoolOnline.com.