STEUBEN COUNTY, N.Y. (WENY) -- A new law in Steuben County is aiming to not only make roads safer, but better educate drivers for the future, too.

On Monday, the Steuben County Legislature unanimously approved the "Traffic Diversion Program." Now, if you receive a traffic ticket, depending on the offense, instead of having to pay large fines and/or get points on your license, you may qualify for a driving course. 

"The goal here is to provide drivers with an option of taking a class, either a New York State DMV sponsored class or the Sheriff's Dept. has trained instructors as well," says Steuben County Manager, Jack Wheeler. 

Wheeler tells WENY News, there are thousands of traffic tickets processed each year due to the high volume of travelers through the county. Much of the decision regarding eligibility will be determined by the District Attorney. 

"The DA has indicated that any sort of reckless speed...you know, very very high speeds, would not be eligible but a lot of the cost depends upon how fast the individual was going and some of other surcharges and fees," Wheeler says. 

Officials say there was a similar program offered a few years ago, but this one is now enhanced. Since the law was approved Monday, it goes into effect immediately. 

Information about accessing the course options will be posted on the Steuben County website and Facebook pages in the near future. 

The resolution can be found here: