New drivers are most likely to crash in their first year on the road. This free kit, from former Hillsborough County deputy and trial attorney William Franchi, gives parents and teens Florida's rules, a practice plan, and an agreement you set together.
Handing your teen the keys is one of the proudest and most nerve-wracking moments of parenting. The nerves are earned. A new driver's first year is the most dangerous stretch of driving in a person's life, and most of that risk comes down to inexperience, nighttime, distraction, and too many friends in the car.
The good news is that the two things proven to lower that risk are both in your control. One is Florida's graduated licensing system, which eases teens into driving on purpose. The other is a clear agreement at home about the rules and what happens if they are broken. This kit gives you both.
I worked plenty of teen crashes as a deputy. The ones that stayed with me almost always came back to the same few things, and every one of them is preventable.
Florida eases teens onto the road in stages, each with its own rules. Here is what applies at each step.
Rules land better when a teen helps set them. Go through these together, agree on the consequences, and both sign it.
Stick to Florida's curfew, and set an even earlier limit for the first few months on your own.
Follow the first-months passenger limit, and agree on who is allowed in the car and when.
The phone goes in the glovebox or on Do Not Disturb before the car moves. Every time.
Speed limits are limits, not targets. Slow down in Florida's rain, and pull over if it turns heavy.
No alcohol, no vaping, no impairment. Florida's under-21 limit is effectively zero, and so is ours.
Call for a ride from anywhere, any time, no punishment. Getting home safe always beats the rule.
A one-page version you can put on the fridge. Set the rules as a family, fill in your own consequences, and both sign.
Florida requires 50 supervised hours, 10 of them at night. Here is a simple way to spend them so your teen is ready for anything.
Empty parking lots and calm neighborhoods. Get comfortable with braking, turning, and mirrors before traffic enters the picture.
Busier roads, four-way stops, left turns across traffic, and merging at lower speeds.
Get the 10 night hours in on purpose, and use a Florida downpour as a lesson, not a reason to stay home.
On-ramps, merging at speed, lane changes, and longer drives once the basics are second nature.
Talk to a former deputy who now fights for injured families. We will explain your options, deal with the insurance side, and protect your family so you can focus on your kid.