The Official Florida Driver License Handbook—rev. 051417
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.....................................................................................................................HANDLING
EMERGENCIES
Leaving the Scene
It is against the law for you to leave
the scene of an accident involving
property damage, injury, or death!
“Hit & Run” Penalties
Leaving the scene resulting in:
Death
1st degree felony,
minimum 4 year
prison term.
Serious bodily
injury
2nd degree felony.
Injury
3rd degree felony.
All of the above include losing license for
3 years minimum.
Damage to a
vehicle or other
property which
is driven or
attended by any
person.
2nd degree
misdemeanor.
First Aid
If you come upon a crash, call
911 and/or send someone for
help.
Don’t assume someone else
has called; it is better for emergency
services to get multiple calls rather
than none at all.
Do not put yourself in danger! Pull
as far off the road as possible, and
turn on your hazard flashers to alert
others. Be careful when exiting your
vehicle and stay out of traffic.
If someone is injured, apply first aid.
However,
don’t move an injured
person who may have a neck or
spinal injury. Don’t attempt to
remove the helmet of an injured
motorcycle or bicycle rider.
Treat For Shock
Persons
who have been injured may
go into shock. When someone is
in shock, all of the body functions
slow down. Shock can be very
serious and can cause death. Treat
the injured for shock regardless of
whether or not they appear to be in
shock:
• Keep the injured person calm.
• Don’t give them anything to
drink.
• Have the person lie flat and
elevate their legs.
• Cover the person with blankets
to hold body heat.
• Maintain an open airway.
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The Official Florida Driver License Handbook—rev. 051417
57
YOUR DRIVING PRIVILEGE
Driving in Florida is a privilege you earn. In addition to the rules of the
road, you must also abide by the following laws in order to maintain your
driving privilege.
Insurance Laws
Florida law requires drivers and vehicle owners to maintain insurance to
cover costs in case of a crash. These laws include the
No-Fault Law and
Financial Responsibility Law.
No-Fault Law
Before you register your car in Florida, you must show proof of
Personal
Injury Protection (PIP)
and
Property Damage Liability (PDL) coverage.
PIP covers your injuries if you’re in a crash, no matter who caused it. PDL
coverage pays for damage to other people’s property that you caused.
Every owner or person in charge of operating a motor vehicle on Florida
roadways must:
• provide proof of valid PIP and PDL insurance at the time of vehicle
registration.
• have
a minimum of $10,000 in PIP AND a minimum of $10,000 in
PDL
coverage.
• purchase the policy from an insurance agency licensed to do business in
Florida.
• maintain the insurance continuously throughout the registration period.
• always have proof of valid Florida insurance readily available when the
vehicle is being driven on Florida roadways.
You must comply if you own a motor vehicle
that has been in the state
for 90 days (consecutive or non-consecutive) during the last 365 days.
You must maintain proper insurance or your driver license /license plate
registration can be suspended.
Your insurance company is required by law to notify the DHSMV when
you renew your policy, if you fail to renew it when due, or if the policy is
canceled either by you or the insurance company. If you don’t renew your
coverage or it is canceled, DHSMV will send you a notice that you must
provide proof of new coverage. If you fail to provide proof of new insurance
your driver license and license plate can be suspended for up to three years.
If you don’t maintain insurance coverage throughout the vehicle registration
period, you must turn in the vehicle license plate to any DHSMV or tax
58
©2017 Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
collector office. Turn in your plate
BEFORE
canceling your insurance
to prevent the suspension of your
license and to avoid reinstatement
fees.
Always carry proof of insurance
when you or someone else is
driving your vehicle. Your insurance
company will provide you with a
Florida Insurance ID Card. You
must have the card (or electronic
proof on a smart phone) with you
when you’re driving. You may
receive a citation if you are stopped
by a law enforcement officer and
don’t have proof of insurance with
you. You’ll have to go to court
to
prove that you had insurance
coverage at the time you were
stopped or your driver license may
be suspended. If you don’t have
proof and the judge convicts you,
your driver license and license plate
will be suspended. In order to lift
the suspension, you will have to get
insurance and pay a reinstatement
fee ($150 to $500).
If your driver license and plate
have been under suspension for 30
days or more, a law enforcement
officer can seize your license plate
immediately. The officer may also
take you
to jail for driving with a
suspended license, which is a first-
degree misdemeanor punishable
by up to a year in jail and a $1,000
fine.
If your driver license or license
plate is suspended for not having
insurance, you won’t be able to get
a temporary license for any reason,
not even to go to work. Also, if you
show a law enforcement officer an
insurance card when you know the
insurance has been canceled—or if
you falsify the card—you may be
arrested and charged with a second-
degree misdemeanor.
DHSMV will always provide you
with
an opportunity to prove
insurance coverage or have an
administrative hearing. When you
receive the notice of suspension
of your license you may request a
hearing; otherwise, one will not be
scheduled for you.
Financial Responsibility
In addition to the required PIP
and PDL coverage, if you’re in a
crash, you will have to prove that
you are financially responsible for
all damages you caused. You can
prove such financial responsibility
by either purchasing an insurance
policy
from a company licensed
to do business in Florida, or
obtaining a Financial Responsibility
Certificate from the DHSMV. Get
more information about Financial
Responsibility Certificates at
www.flhsmv.gov.
It’s the Law
You must provide your driver
license, proof of vehicle
registration, and proof of
insurance when stopped by a
law enforcement officer.