Beginning July 1, Florida youngsters might want to full a full on-line driver’s schooling course—not the shorter four-hour Site visitors Legislation Substance Abuse Training (TLSAE) class—to earn their learner’s allow, below a brand new legislation enacted this spring.
Sponsored by State Consultant Michelle Salzman (R-Escambia), House Bill 889 removes the choice for teenagers to take the abbreviated TLSAE course, which many beforehand used to qualify for the allow at age 15. As an alternative, the legislation mandates completion of the extra complete driver’s schooling program, which requires at the least two further educational hours and varies in complete size relying on the course supplier.
Rep. Salzman highlighted that “about 80% of Florida’s youngsters had not been taking the state’s present driver’s schooling course by means of the state’s public schooling system,” prompting issues over the effectiveness and consistency of driver preparation.
Whereas the brand new legislation doesn’t but require teenagers to finish supervised, behind-the-wheel driving classes, Salzman—a veteran motor-safety advocate—hopes the state will finally mandate hands-on driving instruction earlier than full licensure.
The change responds to regarding statistics: in 2022, almost 450 individuals died in Florida visitors crashes involving younger drivers, with roughly one-third of these deaths affecting the younger drivers themselves. Such incidents constituted 12.7% of all visitors fatalities that yr, in keeping with the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Affiliation.
Earlier than the legislation’s passage, solely about 140 of Florida’s 500+ excessive faculties provided a driver’s schooling program within the 2023–24 college yr. In consequence, most college students undertook the required course by means of the Florida Digital Faculty (FLVS) or their native FLVS franchise, which includes registering and acquiring approval by means of a college counselor.
FLVS Chief Educational Officer Robin Winder instructed the Orlando Sentinel that the college is making ready to scale up its on-line lessons in view of elevated demand. Final tutorial yr, round 71,000 college students accomplished FLVS’s driver’s schooling curriculum, usually inside 9 to 10 weeks.
In the meantime, nationwide developments mirror declining early licensure: the share of 16‑year-olds holding driver’s licenses has decreased almost 27% over the previous 25 years, in keeping with the U.S. Division of Transportation.
As the primary cohort to be affected by the brand new requirement prepares for the August allow eligibility window, the enlargement from a brief TLSAE course to a full driver’s ed program marks a major shift in Florida’s method to teen driver preparedness—marking a transfer towards heightened security however doubtlessly rising the logistical and monetary burden on teenagers and their households
