In a bid to increase safety on the road, a major U.S. state will be implementing a new driving law. Under these new rules, teen drivers will be required to complete additional driving courses and adhere strictly to the new stipulations. Failure to meet all of the new requirements will result in banishment from the road.
The major state in question that is implementing this new driving law is Florida and these new stipulations have been set to go into effect as of August 1st. Here is what you need to know to be a safe driver and ensure you do not get banned from the road.
New driving law hits Florida
The cost of disregarding road safety is a hefty and sometimes irreversible price to pay and as such, in order to foster a higher regard for safety as a driver, a new law has been unanimously passed in the state of Florida. The law was initially set to go into effect as of July 1st, however, it was then pushed back by a month. Subsequently, as of August 1st, young drivers will now have to complete an additional set of requirements to better prepare them for being on the road if they wish to be licensed.
The new Floridian law falls under Statute 322.1615 and had been signed by Governor Ron DeSantis as part of Senate Bill 994 after being passed unanimously. Teens and young drivers aged 15 and older will now be required to complete extra courses and training as a means of fostering responsible driving and safer roads. Currently, teens are required to complete a four-hour Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) course. Now, with the new law, they will also have to successfully complete a fifty hour Driver Education/Traffic Safety Classroom course which has been approved by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV).
The teens will also be required to pass vision and hearing screenings, as well as providing parental consent. The stipulations of the new law are not restricted to the period before obtaining your permit, however. The teens will also have to strictly adhere to certain restrictions once they have received their permits and begin driving.
These restrictions include:
- Only driving in the daylight for the first three months after obtaining your permit
- A licensed adult aged 21 or older must be present with you in the vehicle at all times
The additional courses have already been included in the required driver education courses at Levy County schools. The driver’s handbook and other approved education programs can also be found on the official website of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV).
What brought about this change?
The state of Florida has explained that “the ultimate goal is to improve driver safety and reduce teen-related crashes and fatalities.” According to data from the state, “over 1 million crashes involving teen drivers occurred in Florida in 2020” which resulted in fatalities or injuries in the thousands. The state of Florida is not the lone state implementing new laws in the hopes of enhancing road safety for all, however. The state of Ohio will also soon be requiring all drivers under the age of 21 to complete a full driver’s education course which is not unlike the requirements for drivers younger than 18.
Governor Mike DeWine had spent months advocating for this change, stating that “new adult drivers need just as much training as teenagers.”
“We know that young people who go through driver’s training become safer drivers – safer for themselves and safer for everyone else on the road,” DeWine shared during a press conference. “And that’s not just true for young people. It’s true for adults.”