At age 16, teenagers from Florida and most of the United States are allowed to get behind the wheel. But they don’t get complete freedom just yet, a couple things come first. Here’s a complete guide to tips and tricks on getting your license:
- Before you can even put your foot on the gas pedal, you need a permit. They can be issued to people over the age of 15 who have also passed the digital permit test and taken a drug and alcohol course. This course is four hours long and offered online. In order to pass the timed test, an 80% is required. Anyone over 18 doesn’t need a permit and can go straight to applying for a license.
- Getting the license: After a year or more with the permit, you can finally take the driving test. However, it’s not as easy as it seems. A logged 40 hours of driving practice is needed in total, with at least 10 hours at night. The driving test itself evaluates over 15 different areas of driving knowledge. For example, you must perform maneuvers such as three point turns and head-in parking (parking forwards into a spot with no slant). Knocking over a single cone is grounds for an automatic failure. The instructor must ask you questions as you drive, about information such as how to park on a curb or on a grade.
Over half of all prospective drivers fail the test. The pass rate is only 47%. Luckily, there’s no limit on how many times you can take the driving test and no extra fees are required. With some extra practice, you’ll be driving in no time.
Also required for a license are documents such as a birth certificate, a social security number, and proof of hearing and vision tests. (Photo/Flickr)
