I use Yelp as a guide for lots of things. So when I recently got a photo ticket for "Failure to Stop at a Red Light" at 12th St & Camelback (I swear I thought that yellow was going to last longer! $280 says "WRONG!") and the follow-up letter that I had to attend Traffic Survival School, I came here to get some guidance on which school from the MVD list I should choose. I didn't really find what I was looking for, so I crossed my fingers and chose "Absolutely Just My Luck Traffic Survival School" and I'm glad I did.
Online registration was easy- and I even saved $5 by doing it online (prices vary, but for the Sunday class, it was the best rate I could find- $55). They were great about immediately confirming my reservation and even sent out a reminder a day or so before the class, which was really helpful.
The location I chose, which was in Bud Crawley's Real Estate School on the corner of 16th St & Colter, was also in a really central location. If you go, it can be a little tricky to find as it's in the back of the lot, but they have signs out to lead you there (and on a Sunday, if you just follow the other cars in the lot, you'll find it).
Having never gone to Traffic Survival School, I didn't know what to expect, but it was way better than I anticipated for having to sit in a classroom for 8 hours on a Sunday.
The teacher, Marcia, who has been an instructor for 10-1/2 years was really friendly and just overall very cool from the start. She had us all introduce ourselves and why we were there- and I was surprised by how many other red-light tickets were in the room (maybe about half of the 25 students- a few even at my same light).
Also, just an important note... If you do get a red light ticket, GO TO DEFENSIVE DRIVING SCHOOL! It will save you money in the long run (and points on your license which will raise your insurance rates). And if you haven't had any other moving violations in 24 months, you can go. Note: Traffic Survival School & Defensive Driving School are 2 different things.
Anyway, back to the class... Marcia really made it a very interactive experience. And even though we had to watch some ancient videos about driving safety and do some quizzes (as groups), I actually walked away having learned a lot from the class. She was also really great about letting us take some breaks throughout the class, and we also got a lunch break. But just don't take advantage of her, because she definitely has the boundaries she needs to keep the school's approval by MVD. I really appreciated all of the real-life info she passed along to us (AZ is up there with the big cities in the nation for driving fatalities- and the numbers are going up sadly), as well as hearing her own personal story about what led her into this path as an instructor. I really feel like I left the class a more-alert, less-distracted, very conscious driver. It reminded me of how important it is to pay attention while driving (drive defensively!), to not take stupid risks (like thinking I can clear a yellow light or take my eyes off the road for a second to change a song), and how ultimately your life is in your (and the drivers around you) hands every time you drive.
If you find yourself needing a Traffic Survival School, I would definitely recommend Marcia and Absolutely Just My Luck Traffic Survival School.