Driver license the official handbook

10  
©2017 Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
medicines to determine if their side 
effects can impair your driving.  
Never drink alcohol while you 
are taking medication. These can 
multiply the effects of alcohol or 
have additional effects of their own. 
These effects not only reduce your 
ability to be a safe driver but could 
cause serious health problems—even 
death.
Senior Drivers 
As we age, physical changes require 
us to adapt so that we can continue 
to drive safely. Older drivers should:
  • Get regular medical and eye 
exams to identify physical and 
mental conditions that may 
affect driving.
  • Ask the doctor or pharmacist 
how medications—especially 
when taken in combination 
with other medications—affect 
driving.
  • Consult with a doctor about an 
exercise program to maintain 
the flexibility and strength 
needed for safe driving.
  • Make vehicle adjustments as 
necessary. If it becomes difficult 
to turn the steering wheel, get 
a steering knob. If you have 
difficulty turning your head to 
check blind spots, get a larger 
side mirror.
  • Avoid wearing sunglasses in dim 
or dark conditions.
  • Avoid risky driving times:
 
◆
 Dusk, dawn, and nighttime.
 
◆
 Bad weather.
 
◆
 Rush-hour traffic.
 
◆
 Fast-paced highways.
Florida GrandDriver provides 
information about various steps 
drivers may take to maintain 
independence as long as possible, as 
well as actions one can take to stay 
mobile in their community when 
no longer driving. To learn more, 
search for “Florida GrandDriver” on 
the DHSMV website.  
Florida 511 Traffic Info
Always be prepared! The Florida 
511 Traveler Information System is 
a toll-free service by the Florida 
Department of Transportation 
that provides real-time traffic 
information on crashes, travel 
times, congestion, lane closures, 
severe weather, and construction on 
Florida’s interstates, toll roads, and 
other major metropolitan roadways. 
There are four convenient ways for 
motorists to receive traffic updates:* 
  • Call 511 (English and Spanish). 
  • Visit FL511.com. 
  • Get the free “Florida 511” app. 
  • Follow any of the 12 statewide, 
regional, or roadway-specific 
feeds on Twitter.
*Use these resources before driving—
or when pulled over in a safe place 
such as a rest area—not while 
operating a motor vehicle. 

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3
The Official Florida Driver License Handbook—rev. 051417
  
11  
OCCUPANT PROTECTION
Seat Belts & Child 
Restraints
Seat belts save lives, but only if 
worn correctly every time you are in 
a motor vehicle! You are far more 
likely to be killed in a crash if you 
are not wearing a seat belt. In a 
crash, your seat belt keeps you:
  • from being ejected from the 
vehicle;
  • from being thrown against other 
passengers, your steering wheel, 
or windshield;
  • behind the wheel, where you 
can control the vehicle.
Wear both the lap belt and the 
shoulder belt. Wear your lap belt 
around your hips and wear your 
shoulder belt across your chest. 
Your seat belt will not work if it is 
tucked behind you. Airbags are not 
a substitute for seat belts!
Florida law requires that all drivers, 
all front seat passengers, and all 
passengers under the age of 18 
wear seat belts.* Children under 
age 4 must be in a safety seat, and 
children ages 4 and 5 must be in 
either a safety seat or a booster seat. 
Drivers will be charged with a seat 
belt violation if any passenger under 
the age of 18 is not restrained with 
a seat belt or child restraint device. 
Passengers 18 years old or older will 
be charged with the violation if they 
fail to wear a seat belt when required 
by law.  
In 2014, over 26,000 teen drivers in 
Florida received citations for seat belt 
violations. (Source: DHSMV.)
Each passenger on a school bus 
equipped with safety belts or 
restraint systems shall wear a 
properly adjusted and fastened 
safety belt at all times while the bus 
is in operation. 
Florida law exempts the following 
from the seat belt requirements:
  • A person certified by a physician 
as having a medical condition 
that causes seat belt use to be 
inappropriate or dangerous. 
(Keep a copy of certification 
while driving/being driven.)
 
• Employee of a newspaper home 
delivery service while delivering 
newspapers.
  • School buses purchased new 
prior to December 31, 2000.
  • Buses used for transportation of 
persons for compensation.
  • Farm equipment.
  • Trucks of a net weight of more 
than 26,000 pounds.
  • A seat belt (without booster 
seat) may only be used for 
children 4–5 years of age when 
the driver is not a member of 
the child’s immediate family and 
the child is being transported as 
a favor or in an emergency.
It is the parent or guardian’s 
responsibility to supply the proper 
*Some exemptions apply to cars manufactured prior to 1968 and trucks prior to 1972. 

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12  
©2017 Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
child restraint when transporting a child in a vehicle for hire (e.g., taxi, bus, 
limousine).
The best child seat is one that fits your child, fits your car, and that you 
will use correctly every time. Read the car seat’s instruction manual and the 
portion of your vehicle’s owner manual on car seat installation. In passenger 
vehicles, children under 13 should be secured in the rear seat; airbags can 
injure or kill young children in the front seat. Never place a rear-facing car 
seat in front of an airbag. 
Leaving Children Unsupervised in Motor Vehicles
Never leave a child unattended or unsupervised in a motor vehicle; it is 
extremely dangerous and can result in the child’s injury or death! Florida 
law states that a parent, legal guardian, or other person responsible for a 
child younger than 6 years of age must not leave the child unattended or 
unsupervised in a motor vehicle for a period in excess of 15 minutes or for 
any period of time
 if the motor of the vehicle is running, the health of 
the child is in danger, or the child appears to be in distress.
 A violation 
of this law is a second degree misdemeanor and can result in a fine of up 
to $500. Violations that cause great bodily harm, permanent disability, or 
permanent disfigurement to a child are considered a third degree felony.

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