Driving school in California

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gavinsiu
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Driving school in California

Post by gavinsiu »

For people who live in California, I am requesting some help with driving school. My mom apparently had some sort of traffic violation that requires her to attend driving school (she has 1 point). I looked it up. In CA, if you have only one point, you can take some online driving school that removes your point if you pass.

How do these online driving school work? She is really computer illterate. She can't even type a URL. She has suggested that I remote into her computer and help her, but I rather not do that. What are her other options?

By the way, what's the likelyhood of a point increasing her CA auto insurance?
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JoMoney
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by JoMoney »

No idea how much to expect 1 point to impact insurance, but I would avoid it if at all possible. It could take a couple years for it go off driving record.

At rates as low as $5 for the online school (and there might be cheaper ones out there) hard to imagine it not being worth at least trying it.

In the past when I did one, it was very simple, it was mostly clicking next through pages of reading excerpts of the California Driving Handbook and then taking a quiz on it until you passed.

Also, it's not legal to pay your kid to take it for you. So don't do that.
Last edited by JoMoney on Sun Jan 16, 2022 6:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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quantAndHold
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by quantAndHold »

The ticket will absolutely increase her insurance. Everyone can go to traffic school to get the first ticket dismissed, so the insurance company will assume it’s not her first ticket.

Anyway, there are also traffic schools that are in person. You spend 8 hours on a Saturday in the conference room of a cheesy motel and listen to a stand up comic test his routine on you while teaching you about traffic laws. It’s the way everyone did traffic school before the internet happened.

Anyway, I know it’s a lot less common now that people can just sit at home and click the next button for 8 hours, but you should be able to find a school she can go to in person.
runner3081
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by runner3081 »

Do the comedy one. Easy and slightly entertaining.

By the way, someone mentioned $5, that may be the course cost, but you essentially pay the whole ticket amount in fees to the city.
Topic Author
gavinsiu
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by gavinsiu »

Thanks. I am not going to take the test for her, but she may need help getting setup. I was concern that this may be seen as helping.

Due to corvid, a lot of the in person driving has closed. Even if they were not close I will be concern that she may get hit with Omicron despite being vacinated. The would not be good for someone who is 80.

The comedy one may be a good idea, but since her english is so-so, she may not get the joke.
jayjayc
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by jayjayc »

Every online traffic school will be different. However, they will all consist of a lesson and quiz, most likely multiple choice. Since she's in CA, an online school in her native language should be available.
Luckywon
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by Luckywon »

gavinsiu wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 8:59 pm Thanks. I am not going to take the test for her, but she may need help getting setup. I was concern that this may be seen as helping.
:confused I'd have no concerns about assisting her in any way she needs.
Starfish
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by Starfish »

I did both kinds (in person and on line).
In person one is 8h.
On line, if you chose wisely, maybe 1h-2h? Chose the ones with best reviews on Yelp. Best reviews = shortest.
You click, take a multiple choice simple test after each chapter. It cannot get much easier. However if she is computer illiterate she might not be able to do it without you helping.
Big Dog
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by Big Dog »

Make sure to find a driving school that is 'approved' in the County in which she received teh infraction.
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celia
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by celia »

I would let her struggle on the computer a little so she remembers the experience more. The only part I would be concerned with would be making a payment if she has no idea how to tell if a sight is legit or not. Possibly you could pay online for her??? But a payment coming from a computer with an IP address that is not the one taking the class could seem suspicious. Maybe you could get her a pre-paid debit card to limit any potential financial "damage"???

Also have her scan the ticket (both sides) and email the picture to you or text a picture to you. I think the back might have a list of approved driving schools shown and what the total cost would be.
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gavinsiu
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by gavinsiu »

Luckywon wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 11:54 pm :confused I'd have no concerns about assisting her in any way she needs.
Some of the online test taking software have various method of making sure that the test taker is not cheating. I don't know what mechanism the online test is using. I want to make sure she won't be disqualified because I remote it to help with a technical issue.
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gavinsiu
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by gavinsiu »

celia wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 2:28 am I would let her struggle on the computer a little so she remembers the experience more. The only part I would be concerned with would be making a payment if she has no idea how to tell if a sight is legit or not. Possibly you could pay online for her??? But a payment coming from a computer with an IP address that is not the one taking the class could seem suspicious. Maybe you could get her a pre-paid debit card to limit any potential financial "damage"???

Also have her scan the ticket (both sides) and email the picture to you or text a picture to you. I think the back might have a list of approved driving schools shown and what the total cost would be.
My cousin help her sign up with a driving school online, but apparently she is having problems. Said she doesn't understand the text. I may check if it's available in Chinese.
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Beensabu
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by Beensabu »

gavinsiu wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 8:15 pm My cousin help her sign up with a driving school online, but apparently she is having problems. Said she doesn't understand the text. I may check if it's available in Chinese.
Google translate? Or an app for her phone (if she has a smartphone) that uses the camera and translates? It's not perfect, but should be good enough.
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Dilbydog
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by Dilbydog »

You mentioned your mom was 80. Have you reviewed the moving violation and were you able to determine that the violation was not due to a decline in cognitive ability or motor function?

A similar incident happened with an elderly family member and once the root cause was identified, we determined that the family member no longer had the faculties to safety operate a vehicle.
dboeger1
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by dboeger1 »

Dilbydog wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 11:31 pm You mentioned your mom was 80. Have you reviewed the moving violation and were you able to determine that the violation was not due to a decline in cognitive ability or motor function?

A similar incident happened with an elderly family member and once the root cause was identified, we determined that the family member no longer had the faculties to safety operate a vehicle.
Along these lines, make sure your mother actually understands why her driving was an infraction. The traffic schools are pretty cheesy for anyone who has already managed to get a license, since they just go over a lot of the same things that one would study for the licensing tests. However, it's often the case that people get caught doing things that are bigger deals than they might have assumed.

My wife got a ticket for speeding a few years back and had to take one of these online traffic courses. She was a new driver and had just recently immigrated to the US so was still learning the local roads, and even though she was able to successfully get a license, for the most part, I asked her to let me know whenever she would go out so I could go with her, just to make sure she was being safe. We lived in an area that was probably technically considered part of downtown, but it was on the outskirts of downtown, so we would often drive on a main street that goes through the main downtown business district and has lower speed limits and plenty of traffic lights, but tends to be much less busy where we lived. Over time, I noticed a trend that when traffic was light, my wife would continuously accelerate on this street despite reduced speed limits and traffic lights. It's also close to a police station and sees lots of patrols. I kept telling her to slow down in this area because it was technically downtown and the speed limits were lower, but she would snap back at me and say there was no danger because there were relatively few cars and she was just trying to make the green lights. I only ever saw her go maybe 15 mph over the speed limit before I would tell her to slow down.

One day, she decided to drive out by herself. I asked her not to, but I was busy with stuff at home and she insisted on going right then and there, so she did. About an hour later, she called me to say she had been pulled over in that same area for doing 70 in a 35 zone. Thankfully, nobody was hurt, but she was so upset that the ticket was going to end up costing about $300 or so. For my wife, fees are about the most effective deterrent for doing anything, so she has since driven the speed limit, haha. But I remember having to explain to her that no matter how empty that street feels at times, there can be substantial foot traffic, or she could miss a light at an intersection, or somebody else could pull out in front of her unexpectedly. She has yet to cause an accident in years (she has been in a couple while driving, but the other drivers were at fault), so I'd like to think she learned her lesson.
Trism
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by Trism »

You just register, pay a fee and answer a bunch of questions whose answers can be found on the fly with Google.

This program has been a running joke for decades. I recall seeing TV ads for an in-person traffic school taught by an actual clown.

This is probably a close, current approximation: https://www.comedytrafficschool.com/

I wonder what the budget is for administering this ridiculous system. No one will convince me that this improves safety.
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Beensabu
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by Beensabu »

Trism wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 5:58 am I wonder what the budget is for administering this ridiculous system. No one will convince me that this improves safety.
It's more than made up for in extra fees paid to city/county, I'm sure.
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calwatch
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by calwatch »

There are workbook traffic schools which are slightly more expensive. Everything is on paper, the violator answers the questions and sends it in to be graded. If you search "workbook traffic school" you will find many of them.
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gavinsiu
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by gavinsiu »

Dilbydog wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 11:31 pm You mentioned your mom was 80. Have you reviewed the moving violation and were you able to determine that the violation was not due to a decline in cognitive ability or motor function?

A similar incident happened with an elderly family member and once the root cause was identified, we determined that the family member no longer had the faculties to safety operate a vehicle.
The moving violation is that she attempt to turn right across several lanes. It wasn't anything cognitive.

In my opinion, she's no worse of a driver than she was 30 years ago, but the problem is that she is a terrible driver. If you correct her, she will double-down and do the exact opposite. Fortunately, she has no sense of direction and can only drive to places she knows. This means 99% of her trip is to go down the street to the grocery store just outside her retirement community. I think for the amount of driving she does (she drives less than 1000 miles a year), this is ok for now. Her sense of freedom is tied to her car, even if all she is doing is essentially driving the car down the street.
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gavinsiu
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by gavinsiu »

Trism wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 5:58 am You just register, pay a fee and answer a bunch of questions whose answers can be found on the fly with Google.

This program has been a running joke for decades. I recall seeing TV ads for an in-person traffic school taught by an actual clown.

This is probably a close, current approximation: https://www.comedytrafficschool.com/

I wonder what the budget is for administering this ridiculous system. No one will convince me that this improves safety.
So the testing process doesn't use software like in most university. In those, the software locks down your browser and activates the camera. If the system notice that you look away too much, it will failed you.

I saw the comedy school, but I am afraid the humor may not get across due to language. I am currently looking into Cantonese language school. She is complaining that it's a lot of material and she doesn't understand what they are saying. I can't tell if this is because of a language issue or she truly doesn't understand (she doesn't understand financial terms beyond banking even if it's given in Chinese).
clip651
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by clip651 »

Aside from the required driving school for her ticket, you might want to look into useful driving and safety information for her in Cantonese. It sounds like she could use a good review of the rules. Perhaps if you phrase it in terms of learning the rules so she can avoid tickets and accidents (both can be expensive), rather than telling her she's making mistakes, she might be open to it.

Even short distance trips can result in serious accidents. Please do what you can to help her to become a safer driver, or to learn how to cope without driving herself. Uber/lyft, friends and neighbors? You could make a weekly visit and take her to the store and spend time together after, perhaps, make it feel like a treat or nice event. Or senior transport services to the grocery store, etc. Her feeling independent isn't worth someone else's life. She could easily hit a pedestrian in a parking lot, for example, even if she only goes between her senior center and the grocery store.

Over the years, I eventually had to stop both of my parents from driving when they became unsafe. I know it isn't easy. But it's important to either have them be reasonably safe drivers, or not be drivers.

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quantAndHold
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by quantAndHold »

An 80 year old with limited English skills and limited computer skills isn’t going to be able to pass the online traffic school tests. She may have to go to an in person school, even if it’s in a language she doesn’t really understand.

I hate to say it, but if the only place she drives (at least…the only place she *should* be driving, by your description) is the grocery store, maybe it’s just time to give up her license. I’m sure the place she lives has shuttle buses going to the store. Turning across multiple lanes is actually a dangerous thing to do. She didn’t cause an accident this time, but she easily could the next time.
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MJS
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by MJS »

Loss of peripheral vision starts around age 60, then, slowly & imperceptibly, one develops tunnel vision. Turning right across oncoming traffic is a classic example.

It's possible to compensate for tunnel vision if you know you have it. An optometrist appointment could be great boon to her and her future independence
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calwatch
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Re: Driving school in California

Post by calwatch »

Also, after age 70 they are supposed to administer the written test every five years as a means to provide a cognitive check. It has been suspended due to COVID but will be reinstated once the governor has decided the crisis is over. So even if she still can drive now that may not be the case in the future.
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