This online class was amazing! It let me go at my own pace, and I could visually follow along with the audible reading of the material. There were tests spaced every so often to keep me on my toes! Th... See more
Company replied
While we don't verify specific claims because reviewers' opinions are their own, we may label reviews as "Verified" when we can confirm a business interaction took place. Read more
To protect platform integrity, every review on our platform—verified or not—is screened by our 24/7 automated software. This technology is designed to identify and remove content that breaches our guidelines, including reviews that are not based on a genuine experience. We recognise we may not catch everything, and you can flag anything you think we may have missed. Read more
Review summary
Created with AI, based on recent reviews
What people talk about most
Reviews shaping this summary
I want to say how much I appreciate the effort put into creating it. The content was very clear, practical, and helpful, especially for new drivers who may not know all the rules. I learned many impo... See more
Company replied
I chose this company (DDI) after reading reviews of various programs. I noticed some complaints about other companies being slow or non-existent to reply to inquiries. That is a big concern especial... See more
Company replied
very convenient and smooth to use. Having ability to take the course on my own time for as little or as long as I wanted was super helpful and IMO a much, much better option then taking the 5 hour co... See more
Company replied
Company details
About Defensive Drivers Institute
Written by the company
Defensive Drivers Institute is a leading online platform providing comprehensive driver education services across the United States. Our organization is committed to promoting safe driving practices and equipping aspiring drivers with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the roads responsibly.
New York 5-Hour Online Pre-Licensing Course
Our NYS DMV approved program is designed for new drivers seeking their first driver's license in New York. This course provides essential training on traffic laws, safe driving habits, and defensive driving techniques. It is conveniently available online, allowing students to learn at their own pace and from the comfort of their own homes.
Arizona Defensive Driving Course
This course is designed specifically for drivers who need to meet court requirements and clear their driving record. Approved by the Arizona Supreme Court, this course allows you to dismiss one eligible ticket every 12 months.
With our user-friendly online courses, we have helped thousands of individuals become confident and responsible drivers. Our programs are designed by experts in the field to ensure that learners receive the most up-to-date and effective education. We offer a wide range of courses, from defensive driving to traffic school, each tailored to meet the specific requirements of different states.
Our commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction is reflected in our top-rated services and the positive feedback from our valued customers. We strive to offer the highest quality education to foster a safer driving environment for everyone. Whether you are a new driver preparing for your road test or someone looking to improve your driving skills, Defensive Drivers Institute is here to guide you every step of the way.
Contact info
4600 East Washington Street Suite 300 - #224, 85034, Phoenix, United States
- 833-921-0217
- info@defensivedriversinstitute.com
- defensivedriversinstitute.com
4.7
Excellent
599 reviews
Asks customers to review
This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative
Replied to 100% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 1 week
How this company uses Trustpilot
See how their reviews and ratings are sourced, scored, and moderated.
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 5-star review, Emmanuel! We're glad you found our course very efficient and thorough. We appreciate you choosing Defensive Drivers Institute and wish you safe driving!
Quick and easy
11 June 2026
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 4-star review, Nathan! We're glad you found our course quick and easy. Since it sounds like you had a positive experience overall, we'd love to know what we could have done to earn that 5th star. We're always looking for ways to improve. Thank you for choosing Defensive Drivers Institute and drive safely!
Everything about the actual learning…
Everything about the actual learning experience was great. Perfectly paced for me BY me. Quiz placement was intentional with questions from previous topic to make sure you are actually paying attention. And in general, the dashboard and mechanics of it all were super easy to navigate. Completion took me roughly 5-6 hours, I had a busy schedule so that was partly my fault. However, the only part that was not my fault was the initial sign on/onboarding experience.
I signed up, created the account, PAYED for my course, submitted all necessary documents and was verified in a very timely matter. Went to begin my course and all of a sudden, it was blocked. My main gripe with this whole situation is that I tried calling the help support line, no joke, over 20 times. 20 TIMES. That's pretty wild in my opinion. I used the live chat box, no reply. I was calling for over an hour, and every call ended with "there is no one available..."I tried leaving a voice message like they said, NOTHING. My only savior at this point was the email option where all they replied with, after 30 min was "Thanks for reaching out! I have already unblocked your course, you should be good to log back in and continue with your course. Thanks for your time!" I will take it because at the end of the day I was able to complete my course but having to try to get a hold of someone, or something for over an hour is just something else.
Totally understand, this is my ticket, my problem, my issue. It's just the lack of urgency that bothers me the most. This is purely feedback and I am not trying to completely bash the institute because I was helped at the end of the day. Just was not the greatest customer support experience I've had.
9 June 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for this honest and detailed 3-star review, Jessica. We really appreciate your fairness in acknowledging that the course itself was great, but more importantly, we want to sincerely apologize for the customer service experience you had.
You're absolutely right to be upset. Getting no answer on 20+ calls, no response on live chat, and no response to voicemails is inexcusable. That's not acceptable service, especially when you needed help accessing a course you'd already paid for. The 30-minute email response was also too slow given the urgency of your situation.
This is feedback that stings because it's accurate. Our phone and chat support dropped the ball, and you shouldn't have had to spend over an hour trying to reach someone. The fact that you were eventually helped doesn't excuse the lack of responsiveness on multiple channels.
We're taking this seriously internally. This kind of failure in support response is unacceptable, and we're committed to doing better. You deserved faster help on the first attempt, not the third.
We're glad you were able to complete the course successfully, and we genuinely appreciate you sharing this feedback so constructively. It helps us identify where we're failing our students.
Thank you for choosing Defensive Drivers Institute, and again, our sincere apologies for the support experience.
I enjoyed the course very well.
I enjoyed the course. The use of audio visual, life experience videos, explaining concepts, the tests at the end of each topic and quiz after each module was great for me.
4 June 2026
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your feedback, Cordelia. We're confused by your 1-star rating, as your written review is entirely positive. You mention enjoying the course and praise the audio visual content, videos, explanations, tests, and quizzes.
It seems there may have been a mistake when selecting your star rating. Could you clarify whether the 1-star was intentional, or if you meant to leave a higher rating that matches the positive feedback you provided in your review?
We'd appreciate the opportunity to understand your actual experience. Thank you for choosing Defensive Drivers Institute.
The experience was 5 out of 5 stars
The experience was 5 out of 5 stars. I was able to complete the course little by little since i am a stay at home mom with a business on the side. The course was very important and i am glad this system was implemented in order to keep us all save on the road.
7 June 2026
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for this wonderful 5-star review, Priscilla! We're thrilled to hear that you found the experience so positive. We're honored to be part of keeping you and others safe on the road. Thank you for choosing Defensive Drivers Institute and drive safely!
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 5-star review, Victoria! We're glad you found the course simple and easy to grasp. We appreciate you choosing Defensive Drivers Institute and wish you safe driving!
Great course
1 June 2026
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 4-star review, Ruot! We're glad you found our course great. Since it sounds like you had a positive experience overall, we'd love to know what we could have done to earn that 5th star. We're always looking for ways to improve. Thank you for choosing Defensive Drivers Institute and drive safely!
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 5-star review, Timothy! We're thrilled to hear that our course provided an excellent refresher to help prepare you for your road test. We appreciate you choosing Defensive Drivers Institute and wish you safe driving!
The course is a Minimum 5 hours
The course is a Minimum 5 hours. However, 10-15 hours are actually required to complete.
23 May 2026
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 4-star review. We understand your concern about the time discrepancy between the advertised 5 hours and the actual completion time.
The 5-hour minimum refers to the instructional content mandated by the New York State DMV. However, the full course also includes multiple knowledge checks and assessments throughout, as well as the state-required timers between sections. These additional components do add to the overall completion time.
Thank you for choosing Defensive Drivers Institute and drive safely!
good enough
18 May 2026
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 4-star review, Chixu! We're glad the course was good enough for you.
Since it sounds like you had a positive experience, we'd love to know what we could have done to earn that 5th star. We're always looking for ways to improve.
Thank you for choosing Defensive Drivers Institute and drive safely!
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 5-star review, Frankie! We appreciate the encouragement and we're glad you had a great experience. We appreciate you choosing Defensive Drivers Institute and wish you safe driving!
I like how informative it was about…
I like how informative it was about important topics in driving, like alcohol and traffic signs.
18 May 2026
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 4-star review, Sophia! We're glad you found the course informative and appreciated the coverage of important topics like alcohol and traffic signs.
Since it sounds like you had a positive experience overall, we'd love to know what we could have done to earn that 5th star. We're always looking for ways to improve.
Thank you for choosing Defensive Drivers Institute and drive safely!
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thanks for the 5-star review!
The overall course was good knowledge…
The overall course was good knowledge to review and know for someone 1st learning how to drive. For a speeding ticket, not so much. The course was set up to run smoothly and go at your own pace with little quizzes in-between. However there were so time gaps in between what was being read to what was about to be read that made the course go longer than I needed to.
Overall good knowledge!
15 May 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 3-star review, Whitney. We appreciate your feedback and we're glad you found the knowledge valuable overall.
Regarding the time gaps you experienced, those are related to Arizona state requirements for minimum time spent on each section. We wish we could make the course move faster for students who are ready to continue, but we're required to enforce these timers to maintain our state approval.
As for the content level, Arizona mandates a comprehensive defensive driving curriculum that covers all aspects of safe driving, regardless of why someone is taking the course. While it may feel more basic for experienced drivers taking it for a speeding ticket, we're required to cover these topics as part of the state-approved program.
We're glad the course ran smoothly and that you appreciated the self-paced format with quizzes. If there's anything else we could have done to make your experience better, we'd love to hear from you.
Thank you for choosing Defensive Drivers Institute and drive safely!
Was able to take my time and think
15 May 2026
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 5-star review, Damien! We're glad you appreciated the ability to take your time and think through the material. Learning at your own pace makes for better retention and understanding. We appreciate you choosing Defensive Drivers Institute!
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 5-star review, Alanna! We're glad you found our online course to be a good alternative. We appreciate you choosing Defensive Drivers Institute and wish you safe driving!
Pay attention to the course it’ll help you understand the rules of the road
Excellent course detail
13 May 2026
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 5-star review, Robert! We appreciate your advice to future students about paying attention to the course. You're absolutely right that engaging with the material helps students truly understand the rules of the road. We're glad you found the course detail excellent. Thank you for choosing Defensive Drivers Institute and drive safely!
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 5-star review! We're glad you found our content very helpful. We appreciate you choosing Defensive Drivers Institute!
Friendly lessons
It’s user friendly and very easy to navigate the modules.
The only thing I noticed in the second to last quiz, a couple of questions had typing errors which made the statements confusing.
13 May 2026
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 5-star review, Naly! We're glad you found our course user friendly and easy to navigate.
We appreciate you pointing out the typing errors in the quiz questions. Accuracy is important to us, and we'll have our curriculum team review and correct those errors right away.
Thank you for choosing Defensive Drivers Institute and drive safely!
Reply from Defensive Drivers Institute
Thank you for your 5-star review, Steven! We're glad you found our course convenient and helpful. We appreciate you choosing Defensive Drivers Institute and wish you safe driving!
The Trustpilot Experience
Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active.
We use dedicated people and clever technology to safeguard our platform. Find out how we combat fake reviews.
Learn about Trustpilot’s review process.
Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews.
Verification can help ensure real people are writing the reviews you read on Trustpilot.
Offering incentives for reviews or asking for them selectively can bias the TrustScore, which goes against our guidelines.