How does Diversion Program with Advent eLearning help with my Traffic Ticket?
If you’ve been issued a traffic citation in New York, you might be eligible for the Advent eLearning NY Traffic Program, an online behavioral driving course that courts sometimes use as part of a diversion or reduction program. Below, our traffic defense team breaks down how the program works and when it’s a smart strategy for your case. George Selby, Esq. has helped hundreds of clients navigate the Diversion Program.
Q: What Is the Advent eLearning NY Traffic Program?
It’s an online instructional course, designed to teach safer driving habits. It focuses not just on the rules of the road, but on behavioral driving, aka how your attitude, stress, and decision-making affect your driving. The program is accepted by many prosecutors and courts in New York as a way to handle certain traffic violations.
Q: What Topics Does the Course Cover?
It covers subjects such as dealing with aggressive or risky drivers (tailgating, speeding, distracted or impaired drivers), road conditions, behavioral driving, traffic control devices, and lane/space violations.
Q: How Does This Program Lead to a Ticket Dismissal or Reduction?
In many New York counties, including Delaware, Essex, Clinton, and others, prosecutors offer the Advent eLearning course as part of a traffic diversion or reduction program. Once you are approved for and complete the course, Advent automatically notifies the prosecutor’s office. Based on completion, the prosecutor or court may dismiss the ticket entirely or reduce the charges, helping you avoid points or conviction.
Q: Who is Eligible for the Advent eLearning Traffic Program?
Eligibility depends on the county, the type of offense, and your driving history. Each prosecutor’s office sets its own rules. In Ulster County, for example, eligiblity generally works as follows:
You must first plead Not Guilty to your traffic ticket.
The County District Attorney’s Office may offer Diversion via Advent eLearning as part of a Traffic Diversion Program for qualifying offenses.
Eligibility is typically limited to low-level and moderate moving violations, such as minor speeding or failure-to-yield offenses.
Drivers with recent serious violations or ongoing criminal cases may be ineligible.
The prosecutor may review your driving records, prior tickets, and prior diversion program use before approving entry.
Enrollment is not automatic. The District Attorney’s office must approve your application before you can take the course.
You must complete the course within the timeframe set by the prosecutor to receive credit toward a dismissal or reduction.
Working with a traffic lawyer ensures that you’re applying correctly, communicating properly with the District Attorney’s office and the Court (which can be very difficult), and using the program in the most effective way to protect your record. Contact Selby Legal to learn more.