DHSMV Community Update / Informe Comunitario - November 2011

Community Update

FLORIDIANS BUCKLE UP IN RECORD NUMBERS:  The Department teamed up with the Florida Department of Trans­portation to announce that a record number of Floridians are wearing their safety belts. Statewide safety belt use reached 88.1 percent this year following the 2011 Click It or Ticket safety belt campaign.

Following the Click It or Ticket cam­paign, an observational survey of Florida vehicles was conducted in June 2011. The survey’s results show an all-time high safety belt usage rate. Only four of the 12 survey counties went down. Increases in the other counties surveyed led Florida to an overall use rate of 88.1 percent compared to 87.4 percent in 2010. Pickup truck drivers and their pas­sengers continue to be among the lowest users. The full 2011 safety belt usage final report is available on the FDOT website at http://www.dot.state.fl.us/safety/.

WHITE OUT TEEN CRASHES:  Traffic crashes are the #1 killer of teens in Florida and in the United States. To keep more teens safe in the driver and passenger seats, the Department encouraged all Floridians to participate in a statewide White Out on Oct. 18. Teens joined the Department by wearing a white shirt to school to help symbolize the white out of teen crashes. The Department observed National Teen Driver Safety Week Oct. 16 – 22, and used the opportunity to educate teens and their par­ents about staying safe behind the wheel.

Teens (ages 15 – 19) have the highest crash rate of any age group in Florida. Below are statistics from the Florida Traffic Crash Statistics Report 2010 that provide some ad­ditional insight.

·         737,645 teens are licensed to drive in the Sunshine State.

·         26,848 crashes involved teens last year.

o    144 teens died.

o    18,543 teens were injured.

·         Florida’s teen drivers are twice as likely to crash as their parents and three times as likely to crash as their grandparents.

The Department created www.TakeTheWheel.net, an interactive website by teens for teens, as well as Drive with CARE (Courtesy, Attention, Responsibility, Experi­ence) to educate teens and their parents about Florida’s graduated licensing law and the importance of parental involvement in teaching teens to drive.

GET AN APPOINTMENT!: When visiting one of our offices to renew, replace or file a change of address to their driver license or identification card, we urge all customers to secure an appointment prior to their visit.  Connect via Internet at www.flhsmv.gov/oasis for an appointment to visit one of our offices.

Then link to the on-line pre-application and complete it before coming to one of our offices.

 BRING THE RIGHT DOCUMENTS: Florida residents seeking a new driver license or identification card, legally change their name prior to their renewal date, or to immediately replace a lost or stolen license or ID card, must prepare to show proper documentation.  Your ability to complete your transaction in one visit is directly related to coming prepared with proper documentation.  The complete list of acceptable documents is available online at www.GatherGoGet.com.  The three basic primary requirements are:

1) Identification (Bring one) – A certified U.S. birth certificate; a valid U.S. passport; a certificate of Naturalization; a consular Report of Birth Abroad; an alien registration card.  Name Change (if applicable) – Original or certified copy of all marriage certificates or court orders that show your name change(s). (Uncertified photocopies are not valid.

2) Social Security Number (Bring one) – Social Security Card, W-2 form, any 1099 form or paycheck showing number.

3) Residential Address (not post office box) – Bring two (2) items mailed to you that contain your current address.  Acceptable is a deed, mortgage statement, voter ID card, a recent utility bill, a car insurance policy, a statement from a person you live with along with two documents addressed in that person’s name.   

U.S. citizens, permanent residents, immigrants and non-immigrants can secure a complete list of documents to bring to one of our offices by visiting www.GatherGoGet.com, www.ReunaVengaObtenga.com in Spanish, or www.RasanbleAlePran.com in Creole.