Virginia Student Traffic
Offender Program (STOP) Course Details
DTA's Student Traffic Offender Program (STOP) course
has been designed to teach drivers how to make safe
driving decisions by learning to control the attitudes
that lead to aggressive driving behavior and risk-taking.
While all drivers can benefit from the concepts taught
in the STOP course, the targeted age range for this
course is 16-20 year olds.
Available in 4-, 6-, and 8-hour formats, The STOP course
is ideal for use by traffic courts and judges who desire
to refer young traffic offenders to a course that teaches
them more than basic traffic laws or defensive driving
strategies. DTA also recommends the use of this course
by state DMVs or any other governmental agencies that
are tasked with the remedial education of both teen
and adult drivers who have received citations.
Who Can Take the STOP Course?
Attendance of a STOP course is typically ordered
by a traffic court or judge. Individuals who have
been directed to attend this course ordinarily will
have received an administrative order to do so.
If you have not been specifically ordered to attend
a STOP course, but a court has ordered you to attend
a course designed for youthful traffic offenders
or aggressive drivers, you can check with the court
to find out if the STOP course will satisfy the
court's requirements.
What
Does the STOP Course Teach?
The STOP course teaches participants about the dangers
of driving after drinking or taking drugs and the harmful
effects these substances can have on the human body and
mind. The course also explains several Virginia traffic
laws (especially those pertaining to the use of alcohol
or drugs while driving) and explores traffic safety concepts
through the use of DTA's IPDE strategy for effective and
risk-free driving. Other course topics include the reasons
youthful drivers are at greater risk than older drivers,
how to recognize and overcome aggressive driving tendencies,
and how to develop a driver action plan in order to ensure
that safe driving habits will be observed in the future.
DTA's STOP course is the only Virginia youthful traffic
offender course that teaches students how to control their
emotions and attitudes through the understanding of the
concept of Attitude States. Using Dr. Eric Berne's groundbreaking
theory of Transactional Analysis (TA), the STOP course
teaches students that each of us has three Attitude States
-- Parent, Adult, and Child -- that constantly influence
our behavior. Learning how to identify these Attitude
States is the key to controlling them, which can be critical
during potentially hazardous activities such as driving
a motor vehicle. Students learn that remaining in the
Adult Attitude State is the best way to minimize their
risk of a crash and to prepare for driving emergencies.
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