Insurance Discount Only A Click Away: Defensive Driving Course Now Available Online For the First Time in New York With Improv Aware Driver

NEW YORK--National Point and Insurance Reduction Course, a leader in defensive driving courses, announced today the launch of its Improv Aware Driver Course, one of the first New York State Department of Motor Vehicles approved online programs for New York drivers. First introduced in the 1980’s as an interactive and fun option for Los Angeles motorists, the Improv Aware course uses the company’s much-heralded “Edutainment” approach and is available completely online, allowing New Yorkers to qualify for a mandatory 10% three-year insurance discount and receive a four point reduction on their driving record without ever leaving their home.

“Traditionally, students who were required to take a defensive driving course in New York would have to give up a Saturday or a few evenings during the week to complete the class, which is often difficult for those who work long hours or have families at home,” said Improv Aware founder Gary Alexander. “With Improv Aware, New Yorkers not only benefit from a 10% insurance discount in a state with one of the steepest insurance rates in the U.S., but they can do so with ease and comfort simply by logging on from their computer any time they like. Our unique biometric technology allows us to validate participation completely online, so our course does not require any type of final exam, online or at a proctored site. Students literally never have to leave their home to complete the course!”

Keeping with its commitment to help make New York State the safest place to drive, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles put together criteria for this program that represents the very best in driver safety. Playing an even greater proactive role, they worked vigorously with legislation to allocate budgets for the launch of the program, finding the need to provide New York motorists with an easy, alternative program on saving money on insurance especially in light of the current economic situation.

The online course consists of 10-simple modules featuring a combination of humorous, YouTube style video clips that are supported by easy to navigate text and graphics covering a variety of driving subjects ranging from basic traffic laws to more serious issues like DUI and seat belt use. While the course must be completed within 30 days of registration, it is available 24/7, allowing participants to log in and out as many times as they like to finish at their own pace. Upon completion, students are mailed a certificate that can be submitted to their insurance company for a mandatory 10% three-year reduction. The New York DMV will also be notified upon completion, for an automatic reduction on the driver’s active point total by up to four points, a process that can be done every 18 months.

Anyone with a New York State driver’s license, regardless of their record, is eligible to take this course and benefit from the discount. Students can access the course directly at www.MyImprovNewYork.com or speak with their local insurance agent to see if they offer the Improv Aware Driver Course.

Improv gained notoriety in the driver training field in the early 1980’s when its founder Gary Alexander partnered with Budd Friedman and his partner Mark Lonow at the famous Improvisation Comedy Club to create an alternative offering for motorists. Based on a simple notion that when you enjoy the learning process you simply learn more, Alexander has grown Improv to become one of the largest and most respected driver training schools in the country. Since its inception, more than a million students have taken Improv’s classes in both classroom and online settings.

Improv Aware utilizes a Biometric 8-Point ID Verification, a cutting-edge technology that verifies the identification of every participant, so that students do not have to visit a third-party notary public for validation. Developed during World War II to recognize individual Morse Code operators sending out German messages, the Biometric ID Verification first confirms each student’s identity and then ensures the same person participates in the course by identifying unique typing sequences. Students are asked to complete the verification process at registration and again prior to the start of each chapter. As a result of this unique technology, students are never required to take a final exam nor have to visit a proctored location for identity verification.

“Extensive research has proven that most automobile crashes occur as a result of the human element,” said Alexander. “In fact, a lack of technical knowledge rarely causes a collision; more commonly, it is attributed to the wrong attitude of the driver. Using this research as a foundation, our course was created by psychologists who specialize in the psychology of driving, targeting negative attitudes and behavior of drivers.”

Aware Driver is one of the few courses in the nation that has been proven effective in reducing BOTH traffic crashes and violations. According to an efficacy study of Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) courses in Florida conducted by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DSHMV) on behalf of the legislature, Improv Aware traffic schools of Florida (live, Internet and video courses) demonstrated improvement in its graduates relative to a control group for violation and crashes.