Why take a driving course?
To earn extra points on the driving license, you must take a road safety awareness course. Participating in this course can be a choice of the driver or a requirement imposed by a judge to pay a penalty. For example, if a driver has been penalized and has had 3 points deducted from their license, participating in the awareness course will allow them to recover points. It is important to know that whether it is a mandatory or voluntary course, it is conducted in the same way in both cases. This is what you need to know.
Why take the road safety awareness course for the driving license?
The road safety awareness course should not be taken lightly; it is preferable to complete it because it allows:
- to gain points;
- to avoid a legal penalty;
- to gain points during the probationary period.
Every driver has the option of taking or not taking a road safety awareness course after committing an offense that has cost them some points. Completing this course will allow them to earn between 1 and 4 points. Please note that the maximum number of points that can be earned by passing the course is 12. To take the course, you must have a valid license.
Every driver must take the driving course once a year based on the date (maximum 1 course per year), regardless of their location. In fact, it is not mandatory to complete the driving course only in their place of residence; it is possible to do it anywhere in French territory.
Between the suspension of the driving license, fines, driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding, and other penalties, the course allows avoiding them, but does not recover points.
The driving course is mandatory after committing an offense and must be completed within 4 months from the receipt of the reference letter 48N.
How does the course for obtaining a driving license work?
The road safety awareness course lasts 2 days, 8 hours a day. The driver will be accompanied by two specialized instructors: the first is a psychologist and the second is a road safety professional.
The course consists of two lessons:
- teaching on certain special topics, such as speed and psychoactive products. The objective of this course is to control changes in driver behavior to improve road safety;
- education on road insecurity, which refers to accident statistics, road safety data, self-assessment, and other factors.
If the driver has completed the entire awareness course, they will be issued a certificate within 15 days. If it is a voluntary driving course, the points recovered by the driver will take effect the day after the last day of the course.
How much does a driving course cost?
Depending on the chosen center and the locality where the driver wishes to take the course, it costs between 120 and 270 euros. It is advisable to take the course in a department where there is competition to benefit from lower prices.
It is possible to compare the prices of several centers online. They are usually indicated on the registration form.
The most recommended cities for the awareness course are: Paris, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Orleans, Lille, Montpellier, Toulouse, Nice, Grenoble, Lyon, Metz, and Marseille.
What happens after a road safety awareness course for the driving license?
Once the voluntary awareness course is completed, the driver will receive a certificate within 15 days. The driver will receive an email with the date when the points earned will take effect.
However, in the case of a mandatory driving course imposed by a judge, the driver will receive a certificate, but only if they have completed the entire course. Then, the driver must present this certificate to the judge who imposed the course. After that, the driver can recover the points they have earned.
