Florida Driver Education
Driving Safe on Florida Roads
There is a light up sign on the Florida Turnpike that says "Buckle up, Go the Speed Limit, No Excuses". Any idea why they added the "No Excuses"? We have a good idea. Every day we talk to hundreds of drivers and many of them never got a ticket before. That's what they tell us. Then they tell us their story.
Imagine you are a Florida State Trooper or Sheriff. Can you even fathom the excuses you get from speeders, reckless drivers, those not wearing their seatbelts, and other drivers? We keep track of the best excuses and thought we would share them.
Huh? If your excuse is that you were not paying attention maybe you need a basic IQ test. Telling a Sheriff that you were speeding or went through a stop sign because you were not paying attention is like telling your boss you're late because your job is not a priority. The only worse excuse is that you were speeding intentionally. In the Sheriff's eyes it's the same thing.
You go through a red light and your excuse is that light wasn't there before. Again, this is akin to saying I don't pay attention when I drive. If you find yourself driving on auto pilot, not remembering long parts of your drive, snap out of it. Driving in a trance is a major cause of accidents. Make an effort to pay attention to the speed limit, stop lights and signs, and the vehicles around you.
I've been driving for 47 years and never got a ticket before - or something to that effect. This is all too common in Florida. We have lots of older drivers and therefore lots of older drivers getting tickets. If you've been driving for 47 years with no tickets, consider yourself lucky. Many older drivers find our traffic school courses a good refresher.
If you get pulled over by a police officer, Florida State Trooper or Sheriff, don't make excuses. Can you imagine what these men and ladies hear on a daily basis? Give them a break, hand them your license and registration and be courteous.