ORLANDO, Fla. – A new law will increase the requirements to obtain a Florida driver’s license and learner’s license.
Starting next month, teen drivers will have to complete a driver education course to get behind the wheel, and some adults will need to pass two different courses.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there have been almost 160,000 crashes in Florida so far this year. Research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finds teen drivers are three times more likely to die in crashes, but a new law could help reduce those numbers.
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Starting July 1, teens will be required to complete an approved driver education course to obtain their license. Here are the requirements for 15 to 17-year-olds starting next month:
- Must have a signed/notarized Parental Consent Form (step-parents may not sign unless they have legally adopted the minor child);
- Pass a vision and hearing test
- Pass Class E Knowledge Exam
- Complete a driver education course approved by the state which meets or exceeds the Department of Education Driver Education/Traffic Safety-Classroom current course description
Research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also found that teen drivers crash nearly four times as much as drivers 20 years and older per mile driven.
“I remember the first time I got behind the wheel, I had no idea how much pressure to put on the brake. The gas, that’s all. So foreign. Then you get a little confidence and you get a little bit, you know, into distracted driving and all the things going on,” Orlando resident Kelsey Rienertsen said.
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Some parents feel this law will positively impact young drivers.
“My son is actually getting his learner’s permit right now, so I’m just learning about this new regulation, and I think it’ll be good for him. On top of learning from a parent, he will also learn in a classroom setting,” Kyle Huneycutt told News 6.
Teens with a learner’s license can only drive with a person 21 or older in the car and must complete 50 hours of driving before applying for a driver’s license.
Also starting in July, anyone 18 and older must finish a traffic law and substance abuse education course to get a license, unless they have been licensed in another state or have completed a driver education course.