The History of Comedy Defensive Driving Schools

In 1985, the classic comedy film "Moving Violations" brought screams of laughter to audiences as slap-happy and unassuming Dana Cannon (John Murray) and a supporting cast of oddball characters joked their way through traffic school. Though the corrupt instructor was out to make sure Cannon and friends failed, the group ended up trumping all odds to regain driving capabilities. Though the movie wasn't about a comedy traffic school, it did set the stage for the future of comedy defensive driving and traffic education. People began to wonder: Could driving education be fun?

The Improv Comedy Club Gets Involved

Over 20 years ago, one of the bastions of comedy launched a major comedy traffic school. The curriculum is written by pro writers from Hollywood and is available through local courses or online training. The curriculum has won media awards over the years; the Improve Comedy Club claims its lessons, which are written at a 5th grade reading level to be accessible for all, have held up under study. Traffic safety reviews indicate that the lessons have a positive impact on future driving by reducing tickets and collisions for participants.

 

Comedy Driving Education Spreads

Comedy defensive driving and traffic schools have spread across the U.S. In 2002, Comedy Driving began offering courses in Houston and other Texas cities. The company set up affiliate locations in the years after it opened and began offering Spanish comedy driving classes in 2006. In 2008, Comedy Driving opened an online course, which has been highly successful. However, the company is only the second largest comedy driving class in Texas.

 


Other states where comedy traffic school offerings can be found include, but aren't limited to, Arizona and Florida. In 2007, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles approved a home booklet course for individuals who want to avoid physical traffic school. The booklet was called "Funny in Florida" and took up the comedy driving education theme. Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc. is the company that offered the book; the company also offers an internet and classroom driving course under the same "Funny in Florida" name and theme.

The operations director of Traffic Safety Consultants said that the company believed getting a person's attention was essential to communication. They wanted to get student's attention and present information in a way that made it easy to retain. Like the Improv Comedy Club and many other driving education providers, TSC found that comedy was the best way to do this.

Why Comedy Traffic School is the Best Option for You

Nobody likes traffic school. Okay, there are a few people that like it, but they are the exception. Usually, traffic school is simply a means to an end and you push yourself through it just to reap the rewards (better insurance rates, clean record, etc.). But what if there was a way that you would actually enjoy your time completing the mundane task of relearning the rules of the road?

 That is the concept behind comedy traffic school. It takes the boring laws and safety tips associated with driving and relays them to you in an entertaining way. With comedy defensive driving courses, you can expect to see funny pictures, hilarious skits, and even comics that get the message through to you without you even realizing you are learning. Here are the many ways comedy traffic school can benefit you:

It will make you eager to take the course.

When you start looking at traffic schools, most of them look very boring. So boring, in fact, that you may even consider taking the hit on your insurance rates just so you don’t have to actually complete the course. Yeah, it’s pretty bad. However, with comedy defensive driving courses, you won’t have any qualms about signing up. You like to laugh, and you definitely like the thought of saving on your insurance, so why not?

It will help you actually complete the course.

Okay, even if the boring traffic schools convince you to sign up, once you get started, you will be so bored that you will not want to finish. It will be torture to sit through one more session and you just don’t feel like it. On the contrary, comedy traffic school will be so entertaining that you will look forward to completing the course. In fact, you will love it so much that you may even finish it in record time.

It will help you retain the information.

What good is completing traffic school if you can’t pass the final exam? When comedy is used throughout the course, you will be having such a good time that you will be absorbing the information you learned like a sponge without even realizing it. Seriously. It is proven that when you are laughing while learning, you retain the information surprisingly well. It makes sense, because it’s kind of hard to hold onto any information if you aren’t paying attention.
In a perfect world, you wouldn’t have to go to traffic school at all, but if you do, the best option is a comedy traffic school. You will laugh, you will cry (okay, probably not), and you will get that golden ticket (i.e. completion certificate) that will ease the effects of your other ticket.

The Amazing Health and Learning Benefits of Humor

People usually associate humor and laughter with entertainment. Many see comedy as a fun diversion that's completely separate from work or education. However, the reality is that laughter helps people stay in good health and accomplish practical tasks. Humor can also make education more approachable and interesting. Students learn more when they can laugh and have fun in the process.

Medical Benefits

The greatest health bonus of laughter is that it reduces stress by relaxing your mind and muscles. This boosts your immune system and improves blood circulation. You might not get sick as often if you laugh every day. Fewer stressful thoughts help people avoid anxiety and depression as well. When you're happier, you become more likely to keep laughing and feeling even better.

 


Humor has several other lesser-known health benefits. For example, it helps the brain produce more endorphins. This reduces pain and improves your mental state. It also has the ability to limit muscle spasms, according to the Mayo Clinic. Laughter helps some people sleep better and regulate their blood-sugar levels.
Levity even has the potential to help us lose weight. A researcher at Vanderbilt University found that laughing for 10 to 15 minutes will burn about 50 calories, according to WebMD. This happens because laughter raises your heart rate. However, no one recommends that you give up jogging to watch reruns of "Cheers"; one serving of chocolate pudding is equivalent to about 32-48 minutes of constant laughter!

Learning Benefits

Various studies indicate that humor also makes education more effective. Instructors can tell jokes, recite amusing stories and arrange skits that relate to the subject matter. This works just as well in middle school as it does in classes for adults, such as comedy traffic school and comedy defensive driving courses.
Informational TV and radio show hosts often use humor to make their programs more interesting. For instance, many listeners prefer an amusing car advice show to other programs that merely dispense dry automotive tips. The American Psychological Association reports that relevant comedy enhances education by motivating learners and relieving the anxiety that people associate with complex subjects.



 Comedy traffic school is a great example of educators combining learning and laughter. The instructors incorporate amusing driving and car jokes into every topic. They take classes that people once considered a punishment and turn them into a fun and memorable experience. Online reviews of comedy defensive driving courses report that they are genuinely interesting and make the time pass quickly. These classes even come with free comedy club tickets.