Recently, a new bill, the Senate Bill 994, went into effect in Florida. This legislation, also known as the Driver’s License Education Requirements bill, makes it much more difficult for teenagers to obtain their licenses.

The bill, which was implemented on July 1, comes in response to an extremely high number of crashes on Florida roads, which the government has found a way to address. According to Stephanie Rodriguez, a reporter for an Orlando based news outlet, there have been around 160,000 car accidents in Florida this year alone.

“Teen drivers are three times more likely to die in crashes, but a new law could help reduce those numbers,” Rodriguez said.

These changes requires that drivers between the ages of 15 and 17 to follow new regulations. These include having a notarized consent form from their guardians, passing a vision and hearing test, passing a knowledge exam, and completing a driver education course.

The biggest change from the previous system is that all teens must complete an actual Driver’s Ed course, instead of taking a shorter, online course. Teens can take this both as an elective or outside of school all together. They will have to interact with a driving coach in person and actually get behind the wheel of a car, something that makes them much more prepared for when the actually receive free reign of Florida’s roadways.

This bill could mean a lot for high school students. For one, actually getting a license will be a little more difficult, and teenagers will definitely have to put more effort into it. Another outcome is that hopefully, the roads will be a lot safer from now on. Teenagers cause and suffer from car accidents at a much higher rate than adult drivers, and it’s a big deal that they will be better prepared to handle the responsibility.