TESTIMONIALS
Real Results, Real Reviews—See What Students Say About My Defensive Driving Course!
Rob C
01:09 05 Mar 26
This class was great...Tom makes it fun and engaging...theres some videos that are very effective demonstrating how serious the consequences of texting and driving are...the time went by quickly and I highly recommend his classes to anyone looking for a quality DD course thats not dull and daunting...WELL DONE TOM!!
John Korsiak
15:10 02 Mar 26
Thomas Sottile who conducted the Defensive Driving Class me, my wife, son and friend attended on 2/28/26 was really excellent, interesting, knowledgeable, and accommodating. The best class we ever attended. I recommend anyone to attend his classes. Outstanding all around.
Patricia G (Trish)
23:12 01 Mar 26
I take defensive driving for the insurance reduction but do not feel it is changing the driving habits of those who drive our roadways as it is not a mandatory course. Tom was very knowledgeable and an enthusiastic instructor, however, I no longer have the stamina to sit and maintain focus for a 6-hour course and wish it could be taken online in segments or that there were more breaks during the day to reset and refuel for the long sitting period. I learned more than I thought I would.
Ramona Berry-Ingram
15:58 26 Jan 26
I recently completed The NY Defensive Driving Now course with instructor Thomas Sottile.
The videos and photos were current and relevant to the topics discussed. The most updated information was shared and there was good interaction between the instructor and class.
It was excellent! I highly recommend it.
The videos and photos were current and relevant to the topics discussed. The most updated information was shared and there was good interaction between the instructor and class.
It was excellent! I highly recommend it.
Jamie
18:30 09 Dec 25
Excellent class! This is my 5th or 6th time taking a Defensive Driving Course and this was far beyond what I have experienced before. Loved the use of maps, pictures of accidents etc. that were local to our area as well as the fun easter eggs hidden in some of the simulation examples. Extra bonus points for a video with one of my favorite IP's being used. Highly recommend!
Alice Faeth
15:09 06 Dec 25
Tom make a potentially boring class into a positive experience. It was very informative and fun! I would recommend Tom to anyone who wants or needs a defensive driving class.
Thank you Tom!
Thank you Tom!
Samantha Caccavale
02:54 06 Dec 25
Tom is such an amazing teacher! He made the class so fun and knowledgeable! I would definitely take the class from now on and I highly recommend you taking his class!
R. Pizzardi
21:13 01 Nov 25
Like many other folks I’ve taken the defensive driving course a few times now. I was prepared for some shocking photos of life changing crashes that could have been prevented and I was pleasantly surprised that there was more emphasis on empathy for victims, victims families and friends as well as the offender rather than mangled carnage. Since this information will reach young inexperienced drivers as well as seasoned drivers (who may think they’ve seen it all) it was a good way to create images that haunt us into paying attention. Thomas is very passionate and well versed in this very important subject and made the evenings interesting and engaging.
Joseph Sidito
03:15 31 Oct 25
Tom was a fantastic presenter. His knowledge about being safe behind the wheel of a vehicle and engaging personality made 6 hours fly. The slides and videos prompted excellent discussions within the class. I’d recommend Tom to anyone who’d like to take a drivers ed class. Well worth the time. Thank you.
George Schultz
00:06 31 Oct 25
Thomas did an excellent job in his delivery about the course. He kept everyone interested and made it fun but extremely informative.
Jane Johnston
23:47 30 Oct 25
My husband and I both attended Tom’s defensive driving class. We were so impressed with Tom. He made the class so much more enjoyable and interesting than we had been expecting. He was extremely organized, knowledgeable, and prepared. We will definitely join his class again, when we are eligible to do so.
Yeni M
11:52 19 Oct 25
Thomas was by far the best defensive driving instructor I’ve had! His teaching style is clear, engaging, and keeps everyone involved. I actually enjoyed the class and learned a lot.
Andrew M.
11:52 19 Oct 25
Excellent tutorial and refresher. Thomas made the class not feel dragged or a waist of my time. He was prepared, direct, informed ( his information was up to date) even comedic at times. Literally I didn't feel like I was sitting for 6 hrs. Thomas will definitely be a recommended. You could tell he loves what he does.
Gloria Gonzalez
05:02 19 Oct 25
I have never been in a DDC that wasn't boring. This class was fun, with a lot of interactions from the students. I learned new things and was reminded of old ones. Great work! I will surely recommend your class! Thank you for making it fun!
Mercedes Ozuna
22:35 12 Oct 25
The class was full of updated information and great suggestions and tips. The instructor is knowledgeable and cares about the subject. The six hours felt very short. Highly recommend.
Francis Mazurkiewicz
23:46 09 Oct 25
Tom Sottile is a very well informed and experienced defensive driving instructor. It is very evident that he truly cares about what he teaches. He made the class interactive and fun. Definitely recommend his class to all drivers.
Grace O
00:55 26 Sep 25
Class was actually interesting and you can tell teacher is passionate about what content he shares. He clearly put a lot of effort into gathering accurate up-to-date info.
Marivic Del Rosario
17:10 04 Aug 25
This defensive driving course enrich and make me more aware of my driving
Thank you Thomas , for this opportunity of attending g your class
I will highly recommend to anybody specially the younger generations so it will save lives….
So please any one reading my review
“ Make sure you attend Thomas Sottile defensive driving course
It’s worth it ….
I appreciate all you teaching
A lot of fun you guys will be very happy attending his class
Thank you Thomas , for this opportunity of attending g your class
I will highly recommend to anybody specially the younger generations so it will save lives….
So please any one reading my review
“ Make sure you attend Thomas Sottile defensive driving course
It’s worth it ….
I appreciate all you teaching
A lot of fun you guys will be very happy attending his class
robert medina
15:57 03 Aug 25
I found the defensive driving course informative in learning of new updates to rules and regulations.
Thomas did a great job in keeping our attention with his presentation.
Thomas did a great job in keeping our attention with his presentation.
Cynthia Mattson
22:23 02 Aug 25
We enjoyed Thomas Sottile's defensive driving course He made the class both interesting and interactive It was the best defensive driving course we have ever taken and Tom is an excellent instructor We will definitely be renewing with him in three years
Cindy and Dennis Mattson
Cindy and Dennis Mattson
Keith McCord
18:56 21 Jun 25
Thomas is a great instructor - great for both experienced and new drivers. Clearly passionate about the topic of road safety. Highly recommend using him.
Nina Perez
20:46 23 May 25
My son and I took Mr. Sottile's class about a month ago and we are so happy we did. Both my son and I thought the class was very informative! I've been driving for ALOT of years and I thought it was awesome and I learned from it. I thought the way Mr. Sottile engaged everyone to participate was great too!
I want my daughter to take his class. I will be reaching out to him directly. Thank you again!!
I want my daughter to take his class. I will be reaching out to him directly. Thank you again!!
Jan Bivians
19:21 26 Apr 25
Thomas Sottile did an excellent job teaching the defensive driving class! Highly recommended especially as a refresher class for those of us that have been driving for years!
Annaelise Stewart
19:19 26 Apr 25
Tom was a great teacher!!! Made the defensive driving class really fun, quick and easy! He’s really funny and tells good jokes and he’s really nice. Highly recommend!!!!!!
Degrazia Dnai
19:54 12 Apr 25
I had Tom S. host his Defensive Driving Class at the Central Islip Library. Overall, he is very knowledgeable, and kept his audience engaged for the entire time. Which is hard to do for 6 hours straight! He had really good energy and broke up his presentation with informational videos. As someone who cannot sit still- Tom’s energy was great! I would recommend his class for all age ranges, as I truly didn’t check my phone/look at the time at all during his presentation. Really great instructor, and I would recommend his class to family and friends.
Camille Kitchener-Ellis
19:07 05 Apr 25
This class was awesome. The instructor was extremely engaging and informative. Every HS and college NEEDS this class as a regular part of their curriculum lineup.
melanie hang
21:18 20 Dec 24
Thomas was incredibly helpful with getting us started on the online course! The course was informative and easy to navigate. I would definitely recommend anyone looking to do this course, to do it through Thomas!
Dada nyrican
20:28 16 Nov 24
the class is great reminder for the safety of all! Thomas is a fun and outgoing instructor. thanks to PAFCU for hosting always thinking of members to safety and saving money!
Thomas Poulin
19:49 16 Nov 24
Tom was very well spoken and kept our attention with his presentation. I will highly recommend
Bee Marshall
19:47 16 Nov 24
Class was 👏 awesome! The teacher was informative and professional! Can’t wait for 3 years to be up so I can have another 😊
Erica D
19:47 16 Nov 24
Wow! Tom is the best! He makes the class enjoyable, while being very informative. He helped me understand some regulations and also reminded me the importance of safety over convenience/selfishness.
Mark Shults
19:46 16 Nov 24
I must say the instructor was very knowledgeable & spot on
William Wong
03:49 10 Oct 24
Excellent class by Thomas. Informative and useful
Noah Candela
01:16 10 Oct 24
The course instructor (Thomas Sottile) was extremely knowledgeable and also excelled at keeping the attendees interested and engaged. Top marks!!
Jake Potter
00:04 10 Oct 24
M Cascio
00:04 10 Oct 24
Jill
18:16 04 Jun 24
Best online defensive driving course I have taken. This was very detailed and informative. I would recommend to take this class!
Nationaldinoday237
21:30 30 Nov 23
Just completed my defensive driving course and was very happy with it. It was engaging and informative.
Denise
20:24 30 Nov 23
Excellent class learned a lot! I think everyone should take a defensive driving class it should be mandatory for all new drivers !!
Joan M.
20:22 30 Nov 23
Exceptional course ! Very easy to navigate! Would definitely take the class again and refer others as well ! Thanks
Mike LaBarbera
00:58 09 Nov 23
Tom was a great instructor, very knowledgeable and kept everyone engaged. Got a lot out of the class.
Michael McCabe
00:56 09 Nov 23
Tom Sottile did a lights out job preparing for and delivering the material in this course. Highly recommend.
Laurie Gage
00:56 09 Nov 23
Tom was awesome - kept the class engaged and had a great sense of humor while driving the message very clearly how important all he was teaching is!!!!!
Erick Arango
00:56 09 Nov 23
Great defensive driving course! Highly recommend it. Tom makes the class go fast!
Sandra Arango
00:55 09 Nov 23
Great instruction. Not the usual boring class!
Vicki Cook
17:32 13 Sep 23
The course was simple and easy to follow. Very user friendly!
Anne Salvoni
18:13 12 Sep 23
This site was very user-friendly
Graphics and videos were good
This is my 2nd time using this site for this course, and I will continue to do so and I have sent it to friends and family to use as well
Graphics and videos were good
This is my 2nd time using this site for this course, and I will continue to do so and I have sent it to friends and family to use as well
7Bandit9
15:55 02 Aug 23
I took the online 6 hour course in one day. It was easy, interactive, informative, convenient, and kept my attention. I actually learned a few things. I found the Dr. Phil videos to be interesting to watch as well. Highly recommended as a way to reduce your insurance bill.
Molly Didrik Almkvist
23:37 25 Apr 23
Highly informative in person class! Incredible dynamic speaker, he gets your attention and hangs on it it for sure!
NYC Gal Out
23:01 25 Apr 23
Mark Godoy
21:42 27 Mar 23
This was the best 6hr online defense driving course like to thank Tom👍
Maria Dicandia
00:32 04 Aug 21
I had a great experience with the 6 hour online defensive driving course. This is my second time using American Safety Institute, it’s so easy to use and I will continue to use it in the future!
Bettina Boesch
14:52 10 Mar 21
In light of Covid and the need to social distancing I opted for the virtual course this time. Reaching out to Thomas he provided clear and concise direction towards the online course. The course was very well put together and engaging; incorporating not only text, but videos clips as well as interactive questions and of course quizzes. It flowed smoothly and helpful to note it is possible, if needed, to pause and then return to where you left off (saving what you have already done).
This was a good alternative considering the current environment however next time I will opt for the in person course with Thomas as his personal experiences and humor actually make this course fun.
This was a good alternative considering the current environment however next time I will opt for the in person course with Thomas as his personal experiences and humor actually make this course fun.
Cliff Hoffses
22:12 24 Sep 20
Tom is terrific! The class was fun and a great learning experience-and thats saying something since we all take this course because “we have to”. Whether its online or in person, I will always use NYDefDrvNow!!
J S
14:17 05 Jul 20
Tom does an excellent job. He is very professional and knows his craft.
My wife and I took his online class. It was really simple to access and navigate. My wife and I will definitely highly recommend his online and his in person class.
My wife and I took his online class. It was really simple to access and navigate. My wife and I will definitely highly recommend his online and his in person class.
Lewis I. Goodman
13:51 30 Apr 20
This was by far the most interesting and informative defensive driving class I have ever taken. The emphasis on content provided valuable information. It held my interest throughout and the time flew. The format was clear and effortless to use. I highly recommend this program to anyone seeking a class.
Cathy Cremmins
21:17 24 Apr 20
Tom is the best instructor. He teaches all our our classes at Zebra Technologies. He is engaging, knowledgeable and passionate about Defensive Driving. I highly recommend that you take his course.
Joann Lopez
13:44 03 Mar 20
Thomas S said the course is simple and easy to navigate through, of course I doubted him but to my surprise it was just as easy as he explained it. This was a great experience for me and I will definitely recommend it to my family and friends when it’s their time to take the course.
Thanks Tom for making life that much easier 👍
Thanks Tom for making life that much easier 👍
Margarette Wahl
00:11 04 Dec 19
Took this course with my Dad. Thomas is very knowledgeable and shares updated information and experiences which makes the time go by fast. I will use him again next time and refer my friends.
Tara Petretti
17:33 03 Dec 19
I have been taking this course with the same instructor in person and online since 2008. It was easy, informative, thorough and very affordable. I was able to comprehend everything that was said. Had no trouble completing the course and answering the questions. I highly recommend Thomas. A++++
Edward Petrunich
01:42 27 Nov 19
Taking the Defensive driving class with Thomas was a great experience. He was informative and made time went by fast as he made it fun, interesting and interactive for the entire class to share real time experience, priceless!
Matthew Blasczak
02:59 26 Nov 19
The in-person class was good. I am glad that I took it. I will take it again in the future.
coolcrepper75 dispigno
20:53 11 Oct 19
The online course was informative and easy to use. I have used this site before and will continue in the future. I would recomend this site.
** Other Reviews **
On Dec. 4th, 2025, I took a defensive driving course led by Tom Sottile from NY Defensive Driving Now. The class was very interesting. Tom had real life experiences that made the class more engaging. I do not normally like taking these types of classes because I am afraid of being called out for an answer, I may not know which makes it uncomfortable. Tom made me feel so at ease that I was calling out answers on my own. Even if you didn’t know the entire answer, he didn’t make you feel like you didn’t know what you were talking about. Instead, he helped you to get to the answer through examples and patience.
It was also nice that he himself learned things through the class by having positive interaction with the group. Having this open-ended type of learning made things much more enjoyable. Everyone has always said you are taking a defensive driving class, good luck with that 6-hour class of boredom. I can honestly say that my experience was nothing but good things. I even learned a couple of things which I thought were great. Just be open to taking a course with Tom, you won’t be disappointed.
Rated 5 out of 5
“Thank you Thomas…I truly enjoyed it and more importantly, no more texting and driving for me , and 2) no more driving even after 1-3 drinks in a 3-hr period.
In essence, it was life-changing and very meaningful. It was equally psychologically and life-saving important as it was educational”.
Rated 5 out of 5
"It is a privilege to write a review and testimonial about an outstanding six hour defensive, driving program that my husband and I took with Thomas Sottile!
We have taken this program multiple times throughout the years, and it always was an endurance test, with a lack of anything concrete or intrinsic that we could take away from the experience.
Mr. Sottile was informative, entertaining, interesting, interactive, and created a positive environment in which everyone was eager to participate.
In his thoroughness to cover all of the material needed, he still was able to apply anecdotes and relevant situations to each of the individuals in the group. The question answer interactions were very helpful and applicable to each person's needs. His classroom management created an environment where everybody had equal opportunity to participate in no one dominated the floor.
We look forward to taking another course with Mr. Sottile in the near future And for years to come."
Rated 5 out of 5
Thomas is the most professional and dedicated instructor that I have worked with, nobody I know is more knowledgeable about "rules of the road ".
I will never miss an opportunity to refer my clients to Thomas.
Take his course, you WILL learn something valuable about driving regardless of your age and skills behind the wheel.
I have been educating people about their auto insurance for 35+ year and still learn from his courses.
Rated 5 out of 5
"Thomas was the Instructor for a Defensive Driving class I took. He has excellent teaching skills and his approach to the training made the class very entertaining. He goes beyond what is in the training material to give a great learning experience."
Teresa R
Rated 5 out of 5
"Thomas is an incredible teacher and fantastic in his ability to keep a class engaged about a topic that most people come into expecting 6 hours of monotonous droning. Thomas is exactly the opposite of that, incentivizing students to participate in discussions and providing examples and anecdotes from his own life experiences.
Thomas really cares about making the road a safer place for all drivers and his drive and passion for the topic is very apparent. I'd recommend his class to any company or school looking to bring more awareness to driving safety."
Rated 5 out of 5
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