Sarasota, Manatee County Sheriff’s Offices to join in statewide teen driving challenge

Melissa Pérez-Carrillo, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·2 min read

A $75,000 donation from State Farm to the Florida Sheriff’s Association will go toward providing an education course to teenage drivers across the state, including Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Serving more than 42 counties, the Teen Driver Challenge is the largest commercial driving school in Florida and is offered to teens at no charge. Instructors are law enforcement officers with accreditation from the Florida Division of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

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Students are required to have a Florida Learner’s Permit or a valid Florida Operator’s License and have use of a car to participate. Classes consist of lectures and driving exercises, but they don’t serve as a supplemental driving course. The one-day program teaches defensive driving by covering topics like aggressive driving and road rage, off-road recovery, evasive maneuvers, emergency breaking and more.

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To sign up for upcoming classes on March 2 or April 13, visit the Manatee County or Sarasota County Sherriff’s Office. Classes are added on a rolling basis.

Teens are involved three times as many fatality crashes as other drivers, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The Teen Driver Challenge was created in 2007 to lower the high crash and fatality rate of young drivers. State Farm has granted $985,000 to the program since 2011.

“By learning from certified law enforcement officers, student drivers not only gain essential driving skills, but also benefit from the expertise and insights of those who prioritize safety on a professional level,” said Jose Soto, State Farm Corporate Responsibility Analyst. “That is one of the main reasons State Farm has been a proud supporter of the Florida Sheriffs Association Teen Driver Challenge for the past 13 years.”

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota, Manatee County Sheriff’s Offices offer teen driving course