Defensive Cycling ticket dismissal course

Available for implementation anywhere in the USA and Canada. Contact us for details.

Did you receive a traffic ticket while riding your bike? Would like to have your fine waived and your citation dismissed?

Since July of 2010, we have been offering an option to cyclists that has been available to drivers for years – having a traffic ticket waived in exchange for taking part in some valuable, effective training.

With this course you will find ways to avoid getting another citation, become more skilled at riding in traffic, and gain more comfort on the road. Valuable for cyclists of all experience levels.

The course significantly exceeds the traffic skills training requirements for the national programs in United States and Canada:

• League of American Bicyclists’ ‘Smart Cycling’ program
• Cycling Canada’s ‘CAN-BIKE’ program

More than 1100 people have taken the classroom or online course to dismiss a traffic ticket. Many others have taken our Traffic Smarts course out of general interest, to gain a pedicab license, or to meet training requirements for their employers.

Why take the Defensive Cycling course?

By successfully completing it, you will:

• Meet the requirements to have your fine waived by the Courtand your traffic ticket dismissed. (Note: you still need to pay your court fee and associated costs.)
• Keep the offense from being applied to your driving record in error.*
• Gain valuable techniques that will help you increase your competence and confidence in traffic, even if you are an experienced cyclist.
• Learn the laws that apply to you as a cyclist, reducing the likelihood of getting a future ticket.

Cost: $34.95
Time: Approximately 2 hours

Here’s how you can take part in this ‘ticket dismissal’ option:

1. Complete and submit a Deferred Disposition form through the Court, along with the payment of the court fee and any other associated charges.
2. Sign up for the online course (choose your location):
   • USA — TX
   • City of Austin / Travis County / City of San Marcos
   • University of Texas at Austin
   • City of Houston / Waller County
   • Other cities: USA
   • Other cities: Canada
3. Complete the course with a passing grade.
4. A Certificate of Completion will be prepared and emailed directly to the Court, or sent to you to deliver to the Court (depending on the jurisdiction).
5. Once the certificate is processed, the fine will be waived and the ticket dismissed.

Important: Be sure to read the Terms and Conditions regarding your participation in the course.

Here is what is explored in the course:

The Center for Cycling Education developed all applicable training materials and administers the course training.

With more than 15 years’ experience as an instructor, the primary course developer has been both a Master Instructor with the League of American Bicyclists and a National Examiner with the Canadian Cycling Association (now Cycling Canada). Others with these credentials, and numerous instructors with each program, helped develop and review the content and delivery.

* Unless dismissed via a Defensive Driving or Defensive Cycling course, all traffic citations received by many jurisdictions (including those received while riding a bike) are sent through to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) or equivalent state agency. Only citations received while driving a motor vehicle (moving violations) are supposed to be applied to one’s driving record. However, there are recorded instances where, through human error, a cycling ticket does end up on the record:

• Lack of notation on the ticket that the vehicle involved was a bicycle.
• Motor vehicle offense code entered on ticket instead of bicycle offense code.
• Improper processing of a bicycle-related citation at DPS as being a motor vehicle violation.