News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions about the rules of the road, helping Orlando-area residents become better drivers by being better educated.
One News 6 viewer asked: “Can my daughter or son practice drive in a parking lot prior to getting their license?”
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When it comes to practicing how to drive I think we can all remember when we first tried it.
Being in a parking lot after the store closed with your parents brings back some fun memories, or maybe not so fun for some of you.
But when it comes to practicing before getting your driver’s license there’s a step that you have to take. Simply letting your young one hop in the driver seat while you’re in the passenger seat is not the only thing to do.
In the State of Florida, we do have a learner’s permit that a new driver can receive as early as 15-years-old.
There is no physical driving test that comes with this but a written test to test the knowledge of this future driver.
When having this learners permit it allows a driver to operate a motor vehicle at the age of 15 years old as long as there is someone in the driver seat 21 years of age or older who has a valid Class E Driver’s license or higher.
You might be thinking what’s the big deal with something like this, well if a driver at that age was to be stopped without a driver’s license not only is it major traffic violation but the person in that passenger seat could be held liable.
Remember the purpose of a learner’s permit is exactly that, to learn how to drive properly. So before you hit the road with that future driver make sure that they have that learners permit issued to them.
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