Today it becomes a bit more expensive to park illegally in Ft. Worth. The city increased fines for parking violations for the first time since August 2003.

Last summer the city conducted a study of parking fines in five other Texas cities – Austin, Dallas, Houston, Irving, and San Antonio – and found that the fines charged in Ft. Worth were less than half of the average fines these other cities were charging.

Well, that couldn’t last, now could it?

The new fines start March 1, and they range from $25 for an expired meter to $75 for parking in a front or side yard. In addition to higher fines, the city is now charging a $25 late fee for any fines not paid within 15 days of the violation.

Unfortunately, a parking violation is not the sort of thing that ComedyGuys Defensive Driving can help you with.

But if need a driving safety course – either in person or online – to remove any other kind of violation from your record, or if you want to reduce your insurance rates or just know the rules of the road better, our class is for you. We’ve been working to make Texas drivers safer for more than fifteen years now.

Source: City of Ft Worth Website

Insurance.com – which ought to know a little something about risky drivers – recently published a list of which professions make the most dangerous drivers. The report, called The Top 10 Most Dangerous Drivers by Profession, was created by correlating the number of accident claims with the profession of the person making the claim.

But enough about methodology. Let’s see the results…

The #1 spot went to the legal profession. According to the study’s results, 44% of the judges and attorneys seeking an insurance quote reported having had a previous collision. Compare that to the two lowest ranking professions, homemakers at 24% and professional athletes at 17%.

Coming in at #2 were financial professionals.

Insurance.com VP Sam Belden offered an explanation for these results: “Professions that demand multi-tasking – being on the phone, moving fast on a tight schedule – are prone to more distractions and, from there, more accidents.”

Completing the Top 10 list were
3. government workers
4. bartenders/waiters
5. business professionals
6. dog groomers
7. marketing/advertising professionals
8. barbers/stylists
9. coaches
10. nurses

The common factor here seems to be busy people who are likely to be rushed and distracted while they’re behind the wheel.

If you’re part of one of these groups, ComedyGuys.com Defensive Driving can help: our driving safety classes can make you aware of the bad habits that make you a danger to yourself and others. And we can help make you safer even if you’re not on this list: our classes, whether live or online, include strategies for reacting to the foolish things other drivers might do.

It’s all part of our mission to make a safer driver out of everyone who takes our class.

Source: insurance.com

Garland high schools are celebrating the success of “Teens in the Driver’s Seat,” a student-led program to educate students about the dangers of texting and talking on the phone while behind the wheel. 300 Texas schools are participating in the program, and Garland ISD is one of the most active, with programs at all seven high schools.

According to Russell Henk of the Texas Transportation Institute, the program is has three goals: increasing awareness of the risk, changing actual driving behavior, and saving lives.

And “Teens in the Driver’s Seat” has been doing all three in Garland: The number of Garland teenagers involved in crashes has dropped 12% since the program began. Over the same period of time, teenage drivers in nearby Mesquite have seen their crashes reduce by only 2%.

ComedyGuys Defensive Driving applauds these students for making driving safer for themselves and those of us who share the roads with them. Distracted drivers are an increasing hazard on Texas roads, and we make the danger they create a big part of our driving safety classes.

Source: KERA Radio News

Amazing, huh? Winter arrived with gusto around the nation over the past couple of weeks, and large parts of Texas — the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex especially — didn’t miss out on the fun.

It seemed like the entire nation shut down at different times — and for good reason. After all, perhaps the most shrewd driver’s safety tip for surviving such storms comes courtesy of The Weather Channel: “The best advice for driving in bad winter weather is not to drive at all, if you can avoid it.”

But let’s say you can’t stop living and working every time Jack Frost hits town. Here are just a few basic tips for safely driving the snowy and icy streets. It all comes down to five (mostly common sense) rules:

1. Stay vigilant and in control. No drinking. No smoking. Drive with your lights on. Avoid cruise control. Be extra careful on overpasses and bridges (dual air currents make them freeze more easily).

But the best way to keep command over your car is to…

2. Slow down. Give yourself more room to stop, and you’ll have more time to regain control should you first lose it. You should try to triple the normal amount of space you leave between your car and anything ahead.

Slowing down should also help you…

3. Avoid slamming on the breaks. Soft breaking reduces likelihood of skidding. In addition to reducing your speed, try driving in a low gear — this should help you avoid the temptation of zipping along, and let your car slow down without locking up the wheels.

But if you should happen to lose control and start to skid…

4. Don’t panic. It’ll only make things worse. Keep a good grip on the steering wheel. Let the gas pedal up, but don’t touch the brake pedal.

If it’s your rear wheels, steer in the direction you want your front wheels to go. As you begin to recover, steer slightly right and left as needed to point the car in your intended direction. If you have anti-lock brakes, apply steady pressure. If you don’t have anti-lock brakes, press the peddle firmly and hold it, but release the pressure if you feel the car getting out of control. This is safer than “pumping” the brakes like they used to tell us.

If it’s your front wheels that are skidding, put the car into neutral until you regain traction. Then calmly steer into the intended direction, and slowly accelerate away.

Still, you might need to…

5. Be prepared. If you do happen to slide into a snowbank or get stuck in deeper-than-anticipated snow, you’ll be glad to have a few basic supplies with you. Keep an extra blanket in the car along with some bottled water and snacks just in case you need to wait for help. Kitty litter, sand, gravel and salt can all allow you to lay down some traction, ease your way out (don’t spin the wheels — you’ll only dig in deeper), and drive away normally.

And if you so happen to get into an car accident and worry that your insurance rates will go up, if your insurance company gives a discount for taking a defensive driving course , our course will qualify. Contact your insurance company to learn whether it gives this discount or not.

You know an issue is gaining traction when the daytime TV queen gets involved.

On the heels of a Virginia Tech study on cell phone use and driving distraction showing that truckers are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or close call while texting, Oprah has taken the issue head-on. She committed a full show on January 18 to the issue, comparing texting to driving after four drinks, and declaring the practice “absolutely stupid.”

According to the print arm of Winfrey’s empire, O Magazine, the problem is science, not personality.

In other words, we’re hardwired to focus on single duty at a time. Multitasking is largely a (potentially dangerous) myth.

The result? More and more states (19 so far with total bans) have already been cracking down on distraction and implementing new laws about texting, including legislation in Texas last September. Now, Capitol Hill is joining the campaign.

According to the Washington Post,

On Tuesday, the federal government formally barred truckers and bus drivers from sending text messages while behind the wheel, putting its imprimatur on a prohibition embraced by many large trucking and transportation companies.

“We want the drivers of big rigs and buses and those who share the roads with them to be safe,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This is an important safety step, and we will be taking more to eliminate the threat of distracted driving.” …

In announcing the ban, LaHood mentioned data compiled last year by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The agency said that texting drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 out of every six seconds. At 55 mph, he said, that means a texting driver travels the length of a football field, including the end zones, without looking at the road.”

Texting and driving is an oft-discussed issue at Comedy Guys Defensive Driving. We’ll keep you updated on all the latest laws and developments (and, of course, your options concerning defensive driving if you get caught).

Let’s say you had one of those nights.

You got stopped for speeding (No matter what the officer said, getting home in time to see AMERICAN IDOL should be considered an emergency!).

Then later you ran a stop sign (That tree was deliberately hiding that sign, by the way.).

And then finally got caught cruising the wrong way down a one-way street (Maybe that Benny Hill marathon tricked you into thinking you were British?).

Three defensive driving courses, three dismissed tickets… right?

Unfortunately, no. As much as we’d love to see you more often, Texas state law only allows you to dismiss one traffic ticket every 12 months by taking a TEA-approved defensive driving course. Like Comedy Guys!

The only exception to this is when the court that issued your second ticket gives you permission to have it dismissed as well. In that case, you can dismiss a second ticket without waiting 12 months, but it’s always the court’s decision.

On the other hand, let’s say you take the driver’s safety course in order to dismiss one of the tickets, but then decide that you enjoyed it so much that you’d like to take the course again for the insurance discount as well (perhaps to help offset the cost of the ticket in the first place). Even though we’ll send you two Certificates of Completion after you successfully pass the course — one for the court and one for your insurance company — if you feel like you need the extra practice, go for it!

You’ll have to check with your insurance provider to see if they offer discounts in exchange for defensive driving courses, how long the discounts last, and how often you can take a course to renew. Most companies offer 10 percent discounts that last around three years.

Also, remember: You can’t save credit from defensive driving for a later ticket (in case you’re planning on another one of “those” nights). You can only complete the driving safety course for dismissal purposes after a ticket.

Check out our comedy defensive driving class schedule to find a defensive driving course near you or sign up for our convenient online comedy defensive driving course.

Save time:
Anytime. Anywhere. At your own pace. The online defensive driving course fits into your schedule and is doesn’t matter where you are. It’ll work anywhere you can find an Internet connection.

This saves you commuting time and prep time, and allows you to reschedule your lesson at the very last second should any sort of emergency (or sudden desire to get far, far away) arrive.

Save money:
Taking defensive driving online gives you all the same money-saving benefits of our live classroom course. You’ll save on your vehicle insurance and be able to dismiss that ticket without having to pay the full amount.

Save driving:
Let’s say you just got a traffic ticket or were involved in an accident, and you’re a little bit nervous about getting back out onto the road before brushing up on your skills. We’re here for you and will have you driving confidently again in no time — without ever having to leave home until you’re ready.

Save comfort:
You can complete the online course in your pajamas, a burqa, bikini, birthday suit or suit of shining armor. You can become a better driver while in bed, standing up, dancing, riding a horse, or floating in a pool of jello (It’s amazing where you can find an Internet connection these days!) — whatever is most comfortable and whatever you need to better focus, learn and improve your defensive driving skills.

Save face:
At Comedy Guys, all of our defensive driving instructors and writers are professional comedians, including those in the online course. At home, you can feel free to laugh, snort, crack up, guffaw and fall off your couch as loud as you want without distracting other students. You also have the freedom to boo, hiss, yawn, heckle and roll your eyes without offending our hardworking teachers. Our online defensive driving course guarantees a giggle-(or jeer)-safe environment.

Learn more about comedy defensive driving here, or contact us for more information.

Tiger Woods can drive a golf ball straight for 400 yards.

We’re basically nice guys around here, so we don’t like to hit a guy when he’s down, but at the same time, we are comedians so picking on a guy when he’s down is a big part of the job description. Just par for the course, so to speak.

We don’t think that Tiger’s driving is dangerous enough that he should become part of our defensive driving curriculum, but we’re not above making a few jokes.

Subject your co-workers to them, but hurry before this story gets old.

Why did Tiger run into both a tree and a fire hydrant?
He couldn’t decide between a wood or an iron!

What’s the difference between a fairway and a driveway?
Tiger can drive straight down the fairway!

Tiger and Elin have signed a new prenuptual agreement.  According to the new contract, the next time Tiger plays a round, Elin will hand him his balls.

Tiger later admitted that this crash was the closest shave he’s ever had. So Gillette has dropped his contract.

Apparently, the only person who can beat Tiger Woods with a golf club is his wife.

Sure, it can be tough to find a parking space sometimes. But this is not the way to do it.

And did you notice the way he got out of the car and walked across the lane without even looking for cars first. Definitely not somone who’s taken one of our defensive driving classes!

Every once in a while something pops up in the news that sounds too ridiculous to be true. Such was the case when… well, read for yourself:

Amidst the obvious outcry, there’s a larger lesson we don’t want to miss.

At Comedy Guys Defensive Driving, we know how difficult it can be for otherwise well-intentioned non-native English speakers to understand and abide by the laws of our land. And it’s not just a matter of avoiding tickets: non-English speakers are at increased risk of getting lost, misunderstanding routine traffic signs, and missing crucial warnings about potentially hazardous driving conditions ahead.

So we’re doing what we can to help Spanish speakers, offering Spanish-language driving safety classes in Dallas as well as Spanish defensive driving in Arlington. Our classes help Spanish speakers know what to look for, read road signs, understand driving laws, and live and drive more confidently.

The Spanish-language classes will usually qualify for both ticket dismissal and insurance discount purposes, depending on each student’s insurance policy.

Contact us for more information, or check out our online reservation page for schedules.