What Are DWI Classes Like?

If you have had the experience of getting a DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) in Rhode Island, you may be ordered to take a DWI class. One thing that can make it a bit easier is that you can sometimes take the course online. What are DWI classes like for the participants?

The Goal of DWI/DUI Classes

Court ordered, mandatory DWI classes educate offenders on the dangers of drunk driving and prevent them from doing it again. Driving under the influence carries many penalties, including but not limited to fines, license revocation, license suspension, costly ignition interlock devices, and even time in jail. More importantly, it puts the driver, passengers, and innocent people in danger of injury or death. When a judge orders DWI classes, the goal is for the convicted driver to understand the seriousness of drunk driving.

Different Types of DWI classes

There are several levels of DWI classes. Level 1 is an 8-hour class, level 2 is a 16-hour class, and level 3 is a 24-hour class. The one you need will depend on the court order. There are also 12, 32, and 48-hour courses.

DUI/DWI Classes

These are the most common classes for DWI citations. You must get court or agency approval for the online course before beginning.

Alcohol Awareness Classes

Sometimes a court order calls for an Alcohol Awareness class instead of a DWI class. You may also have to take this course while on probation, or for an employer.

MIP/MIC Classes

These are Minor In Possession classes. Courts order MIP Classes if the defendant is under 21.

What Happens During DWI Classes?

In Rhode Island, all DWI classes occur at the Community College of Rhode Island. You must register through a department in the Adjudication Office of the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles with the Driver Retraining Office. You get the choice of which CCRI campus to take the class. The first is always at the Warwick campus. After that, participants can choose from the Warwick, Lincoln, or Newport campuses.

Alcohol Assessment

At your first class, you will have to take an Alcohol Assessment. If the assessment determines that you are likely to re-offend, you will be ordered to participate in alcohol treatment, but you must be treated at an approved facility. The Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals must approve the provider. A full list of treatment providers is here.

DWI Class Topics

During the class, participants find out the exact effects of alcohol and medications. They learn what happens to your body and your mind when you consume alcohol.

The instructor will also give detailed descriptions of the legal ramifications of a drunk driving conviction. They will go over the personal outcomes of a DWI, and how it can affect your individual life.

DWI classes instruct participants about ways to abstain and avoid drinking and driving. They teach about all of the consequences and risks of getting behind the wheel while intoxicated, and how to avoid that situation. The number one goal is to have no repeat offenders.

Teachers

The classroom is not the place to try to argue your innocence or why you shouldn’t have to be in the class. The teachers, known as DWI Education Instructors, are there to help you understand your situation clearly, and are focused on helping you never to drive drunk again.

DWI Education Instructors must be certified. They get training in curriculums for first offenders, wet and reckless offenders, and multiple offenders. They also get counseling training, and their curriculum includes rapid eye check training and alcohol and nutrition training.

What Happens During Online DWI Classes

You have to get approval from a judge to take an online course. When you can, you don’t have to take time out of work or school, and the lessons happen in the privacy of your home. These factors make them convenient and confidential.

Register and Pay

Choose the course you want and click the register button. You are taken to a screen that will ask for your address and contact information. This information is so they can send you your Completion Certificate when you finish. There will be several online options for payment.

Begin the Class

Once your registration is complete, the course will be available online. You just log in and begin. All online courses progress at your own pace, which is one of the advantages of doing it online. You can do it quickly, or take weeks to finish.

Get Your Certificate

Failing a DWI class is possible, and you have to score over 70% to pass. A certificate of completion is issued as proof that you have finished the course, and for online courses, the certificate is mailed to you.

Those convicted of drunk driving need to understand the severity of what they have done, and DWI classes accomplish this goal. Whether you take an online course or do it in a classroom, the result is the same.

What Are DWI Classes Like?