N.Y. Vehicle & Traffic Law Section 399-F
Proof of effectiveness

Proof of effectiveness shall be verifiable research documentation submitted by the applicant for sponsorship showing evidence of effectiveness comparable to that of the national safety council’s defensive driving course as determined by the commissioner in terms of reduced convictions or accidents or both. This research documentation shall employ accepted research principles and include treatment and non-treatment control groups comprised of samples of the representative driver base. In order to establish verifiable effectiveness, each sample group should be comprised of a minimum of three thousand drivers selected randomly. The documentation shall include conviction or accident data for each motorist for a period of at least eighteen months prior to the course completion date and at least eighteen months subsequent to such date, and equivalent time periods for non-treatment control groups. The documentation shall also include a description of the sampling and analytic procedures used, and the motorist identification number and course completion date for all course attendees. The applicant for sponsorship shall provide, at the request of the commissioner and at the applicant’s expense, all driving record data and analysis used in the development of the submitted research documentation. Submission of any fraudulent or intentionally misleading data will disqualify that organization and all owners and principals from participating or approval in the accident prevention course for a period of ten years from submission date. The commissioner may, by regulation, provide for a smaller sample group for specialized courses.

Source: Section 399-F — Proof of effectiveness, https://www.­nysenate.­gov/legislation/laws/VAT/399-F (updated Sep. 22, 2014; accessed Nov. 1, 2025).

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Nov. 1, 2025

Last modified:
Sep. 22, 2014

§ 399-F. Proof of effectiveness's source at nysenate​.gov

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