When a young Massachusetts driver is charged with any number of driving-related infractions, they may be required to attend any number of courses intended to curb their dangerous behavior and educate them on how to be a safer motor vehicle operator. Oftentimes these courses are mandated before the individual will be allowed to have their driver’s license or learner’s permit reinstated, and although they may be viewed as a punishment, it can also be highly beneficial for an inexperienced driver at the start of their life of safe driving habits.
Click here for more information about how an attorney can help you or your young driver navigate a court case following a traffic infraction that may result in a license suspension or a number of other possible penalties they may be given to make up for their actions. Even in seemingly straightforward circumstances, you may find that the penalties are harsher than initially expected, or may seem to be quite overwhelming at first glance. When you have an attorney representing your case, you can be confident that these penalties and all possible avenues towards a resolution will be clearly explained to you.
One likely avenue in a situation involving repeat driving infractions is a driver attitudinal retraining course, which you can learn more about below.
Purpose of a Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course
In collaboration with the National Safety Council and Massachusetts State Police, the Massachusetts courts often require that young or otherwise inexperienced drivers attend these courses before being allowed to regain their driving privileges after a series of infractions. These courses have a range of focuses that depend on the nature of their infractions, meaning that they may need to attend a course specifically geared towards road rage and curbing these aggressive behaviors (State Courts Against Road Rage, or SCARR), drug- or alcohol-based courses intended to educate young drivers on the dangers of drug abuse (especially when paired with operating a motor vehicle), or other general courses intended to help them understand their own behaviors.
Lessons Of a Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course
As you can imagine by the range of infractions and focuses of Attitudinal Retraining Courses in Massachusetts, a young driver may complete this four-hour course with many different takeaways that can be extremely beneficial to their skills as safe drivers. Some lessons include things like:
- How to recognize and curb dangerous habits on the road
- Understanding and engaging in defensive driving techniques
- Avoiding and handling stressful or dangerous driving scenarios
- The importance of avoiding drugs or alcohol when operating a motor vehicle
- Recognizing the bad habits that have contributed to their past infractions, and how to correct these habits for the future
- Understanding why certain safety measures are in place on the roads
- Recognizing the consequences of making poor decisions in driving by studying crash victim testimonies
Of course, there are a variety of other benefits and lessons that a young driver will take away from one of these courses that will help them understand how they can become responsible role models for safe driving in the future.
Who Is Required to Attend a Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course?
These courses are typically required for young drivers who engage in certain behaviors resulting in driving infractions such as speeding tickets, OUI charges, or violations of their Junior Operating License restrictions such as driving after midnight or driving with other passengers. In many cases, successfully completing this course will be a requirement set forth by a judge before the driver is able to regain their driving privileges, meaning that the requirement will be clearly laid out during a hearing resulting from some sort of infraction.