We’re changing the way people think about driving.
Reckless and Aggressive Driving is a problem in Virginia, and it always has been. The nature of driving makes it difficult for Virginia Courts to regulate. Past bad behavior can be punished, but punishment for driving recklessly and aggressively really just means a fine, maybe a suspension, or even jail. But what happens next? That person is still going to get back behind the wheel. We haven’t done anything to make them safer for the rest of us. We have not addressed the behavior or the psychology behind what we punished. We’re working to change that.
RADEP has been dedicated to delivering engaging, expertly-crafted defensive driving courses designed specifically for Virginia students. Our professionally-certified instructors are here to help you achieve your goals effectively and efficiently. We set the standard for quality and innovation, continuously evolving our programs to ensure you receive the most comprehensive and engaging driver education available. At RADEP, you’re not just a number—we’re genuinely invested in helping you learn, remember, and grow from your experience with us.
1996 it became apparent to me that the judges in Virginia needed a new way to address Reckless and Aggressive Driving. At the time, the Courts really only had two options:
- Conviction. Reckless Driving, a Class 1 Misdemeanor, has significant consequences. It could financially cripple someone. The fine alone could be up to $2,500. Not to mention the insurance increases, a license suspension, or even jail time.
- Reduce or dismiss the charge with a traditional Driver Improvement Program (DIP), essentially just giving someone the proverbial “slap on the wrist.” This is the same class someone would complete for a simple speeding ticket.
Neither felt like an appropriate response to address the problem of Reckless and Aggressive Driving. We needed a new way of addressing this growing problem. The 8-hour Driver Improvement Program is a great program, it benefits drivers of all ages, and I did not want to minimize the significant role it plays in highway safety. But we needed a middle ground for more serious cases - one that concentrates on Reckless and Aggressive Driving.
In an effort to meet this need, I developed an enhanced driver education program that concentrated on just those things. To that end, I conducted significant research, consulting with the presiding judge of the Richmond City General District Court at the time, and Dr. William Carne, a Richmond area psychologist, to develop an intensive four hour program to be taught in conjunction with the standard eight hour driver education program that had been relied on by courts for decades. I called this class the Reckless and Aggressive Driver Education Program (RADEP). It addressed all of the aspects of Reckless Driving, Aggressive Driving, and road rage. Significantly, at that time the Virginia Code had not yet formally codified “Aggressive Driving.”
I presented this program to the area judges and began classes. In November of 1996, I conducted the first RADEP class with only one student. Since then, I have personally taught the class to more than seven thousand students. I developed this program while I was a driving instructor for the Capital Area ASAP program and we used the RADEP program exclusively through ASAP for years. We continued to use this program after I became the Director of Capital Area ASAP in 2010. I so strongly believe in the mission of creating safer drivers that I shared the RADEP program with other ASAP Offices throughout Virginia, and it is still being taught around the Commonwealth by them to this day.
In the past few years, other entities have endeavored to use the RADEP name and to provide some form of the 4-hour program I pioneered. I applaud this mission, but I have decided to devote my full efforts to continuing my pursuit of providing the driving public with a superior Reckless and Aggressive Driver Education Program. Not just superior, but affordable too. Specialized 4-hour driving classes are notoriously expensive. At RADEP we believe that furthering your skills as a safe driver by taking classes beyond what are generally required of the public shouldn’t be limited to those willing to spend hundreds of dollars. Our classes are very reasonably priced - allowing everyone to access the skills and awareness to become a better, safer driver.
Today we are using the 4th Edition of my original RADEP course. While some aspects of the program have evolved, human nature really hasn’t. The same principles stressed in the beginning are still taught today. We’re changing the way people think about driving.
