A new Florida law that went into effect Aug. 1 requires drivers under the age of 18 to complete a state-approved, six-hour Driver Education Traffic Safety course in order to obtain a learner’s permit.

The new course replaces the previously required four-hour Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education course and is expected to complement the Florida Department of Education’s driver’s education and traffic safety curriculum.

It’s designed to better educate young drivers on all aspects of operating a motor vehicle, including defensive driving, driving in extreme weather, and the dangers of driving while distracted or impaired.

The new course is available in-person or online, with the cost ranging between $30 and $50. However, Florida Virtual School offers the class for free.

The School District here no longer offers driver’s education classes, but it does provide funding to cover the cost for students who attend A Treasure Coast Driving School, which, according to its website, has been approved by the state to offer the new six-hour course.

Some insurance companies offer discounts for the successful completion of driver’s education.

School Superintendent David Moore welcomed the increased driver’s education for teens.

“We have crashes every year,” he said. “We have a lot of teenaged drivers here. Our 11th- and 12th-grade parking lot is full. And it can be nerve-wracking to watch what happens out there.

“So, I’m all for continued opportunities for improvement, especially when it comes to safety.”

In addition to completing the new course, the state requires a teen driver seeking a learner’s permit to pass vision and hearing tests, pass a knowledge exam, and submit a signed parental-consent form.

State law requires teens to hold a learner’s permit for at least one year – or turn 18 – before applying for a driver’s license.

The goal of new and more-demanding curriculum, lawmakers say, is to address alarming state and national statistics pertaining to crashes and fatalities involving teen drivers.

“When you look at the connection between traffic deaths and young drivers, this is definitely a good idea,” said County Commission Vice Chairman Deryl Loar, who served three terms as sheriff here before retiring from law enforcement. “Taking driver’s education to another level can only help.”

According to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration, automobile crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for teens ages 15 to 18.

National studies done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meanwhile, show that the per-mile, traffic-fatality rate for drivers between ages 16 and 19 is three times higher than for drivers ages 20 and up.

Closer to home, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported teen drivers in this state were involved in 68 fatal crashes that resulted in 83 teen deaths in 2023, the most recent year for which statistics were available.

There were also 2,114 teen-driver crashes resulting in 3,084 injuries.

And an independent study conducted by a South Florida law firm revealed that Florida – with an average of 59 fatal crashes per 100,000 drivers ages 15 to 20 – ranked sixth nationally for the period between 2019 and 2023.

“This is a no-brainer,” Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey said of the new course. “It’s long overdue, and I hope it helps. I think it will. The more education and understanding of the responsibilities of being behind the wheel – from a safety perspective – the better it is for everyone, and especially young drivers.

“Statistics from 2023 show it was a big year for teens involved in crashes,” he added, “so I’m not at all surprised our legislators took this kind of action.”