MATRIX COURSE INTRODUCTION - DHSMV OVERVIEW

YOU HAVE RECENTLY BEEN CAUGHT BY A FLORIDA LAW OFFICER FOR DRIVING IN A MANNER DANGEROUS TO YOURSELF OR OTHER CITIZENS. IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD BET THAT YOUR EXPERIENCE DID NOT MAKE YOUR DAY! EARNING A TRAFFIC TICKET IS NOT MEANT TO BE AN ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE. HOWEVER, THE TICKET COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE OR HELP YOU AVOID SERIOUS INJURY OR FINANCIAL HARDSHIP. AVOIDING THESE UNDESIRABLE CONSEQUENCES IN THE FUTURE WILL DEPEND ON WHAT YOU DECIDE FROM NOW ON.

YOU HAVE HAD TO PAY FINES, LOSE VALUABLE TIME, PERHAPS PAY LEGAL FEES, AND PROBABLY SUFFER EMBARRASSMENT. PERHAPS YOU HAVE TRIED TO BLAME THE LAW OFFICER FOR YOUR TROUBLES, OR CONVINCE YOURSELF THAT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE WAS NOT AS BAD AS THINGS OTHER PEOPLE DO WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT. MANY PEOPLE IN OUR SOCIETY BELIEVE GETTING CAUGHT IS WORSE THAN BREAKING THE LAW. THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT.

ON THE OTHER HAND, PERHAPS THE UNCOMFORTABLE EMOTIONS YOU HAVE FELT AND THE FINANCIAL EXPENSES YOU HAVE CAUSED HAVE FORCED YOU TO RE-EXAMINE UNHEALTHY DRIVING HABITS.

IF SO, YOU HAVE TAKEN THE BIGGEST STEP TOWARD A MORE FULFILLING AND LONGER LIFE BY DECIDING TO BE OPEN TO CHANGE.

NO MATTER WHAT YOU MAY THINK ABOUT YOUR DRIVING HABITS, THE DRIVER IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM YOU WILL BE COMPLETING HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO HELP YOU MAKE SOME IMPORTANT DECISIONS, AND POSSIBLY SOME IMPORTANT CHANGES, THAT COULD KEEP YOU FROM BECOMING A TRAFFIC STATISTIC.

SPEEDING AND SHORTCUTS BEHIND THE WHEEL SAVE VERY LITTLE TIME, AGGRAVATE STRESS AND OFTEN ARE DEADLY. YOUNG PEOPLE OFTEN BELIEVE THEMSELVES IMMORTAL. WHEN WE ARE YOUNG, WE OFTEN TAKE RISKS THAT ARE UNACCEPTABLE TO US AS WE GROW OLDER AND OUR PERSPECTIVES CHANGE.

THIS DRIVER IMPROVEMENT COURSE IS MEANT TO BE A POSITIVE CONSEQUENCE OF DANGEROUS DRIVING. PUT TO GOOD USE, IT CAN HELP YOU DEVELOP SAFE, DEFENSIVE DRIVING ATTITUDES AND SKILLS. DEVELOPING SAFE DRIVING HABITS IS UP TO YOU.

WHAT CONSEQUENCES ARE YOU WILLING TO ACCEPT? WHAT CONSEQUENCES DO YOU REALLY WANT TO AVOID? WHICH ONES ARE YOU IGNORING? THIS DRIVER IMPROVEMENT COURSE WILL GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS.

THE DRIVER IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM HAS BEEN DEVELOPED WITH THE PRIORITY OF KEEPING FLORIDA'S STREETS AND HIGHWAYS AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE. A COMBINATION OF PUNISHMENT AND EDUCATION IS THE BEST WAY TO ACHIEVE SAFE ROADS.

FLORIDA'S CITIZENS, THROUGH THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS, PASS LAWS AND DIRECT DIFFERENT AGENCIES TO ENFORCE THOSE LAWS:

1. THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLES MAINTAINS RECORDS FOR ALL LICENSED DRIVERS AND MOTOR VEHCILES AND ENFORCES TRAFFIC SAFETY LAWS THROUGH THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL. THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLES ALSO TESTS APPLICANTS FOR DRIVERS LICENSES, AND RUNS DRIVER IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS.

2. CITY POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENTS ALSO ENFORCE LAWS AND ASSIST MOTORISTS.

3. STATE COURTS MAKE SURE LAWS ARE ENFORCED EQUALLY. JUDGES AND TRAFFIC MAGISTRATES CAN SENTENCE TRAFFIC VIOLATORS TO DRIVING SCHOOLS OR TO ANY TREATMENT THAT COULD IMPROVE UNSAFE HABITS. THEY ALSO CAN FINE UNSAFE DRIVERS OR SEND THEM TO JAIL.

4. STATE-APPROVED DRIVER IMPROVEMENT SCHOOLS INCLUDE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AGENCIES WHICH CONDUCT COURSES APPROVED BY THE STATE.

THE BASIC DRIVER IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM IS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO RECEIVED A TICKET AND A JUDGE OR TRAFFIC MAGISTRATE SENT YOU TO THE COURSE, OR YOU ENROLLED IN THE COURSE TO AVOID PAYING A LARGE FINE AND HAVING POINTS ASSESSED ON YOUR DRIVING RECORD. IF YOU VOLUNTEERED FOR THE COURSE, YOU HAVE PAID OR SOON WILL PAY COURT COSTS, AND HAVE OR WILL SIGN AN AFFIDAVIT THAT YOU HAVE NOT TAKEN THIS OPTION DURING THE LAST YEAR, OR MORE THAN FIVE TIMES IN YOUR LIFE.

YOU MUST NOW COMPLETE A BASIC DRIVER IMPROVEMENT COURSE AT A STATE-APPROVED DRIVER IMPROVEMENT SCHOOL. YOU ARE BEING GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND SCHOOL BECAUSE THE STATE BELIEVES THAT YOU ARE AN INTELLIGENT PERSON WHO CAN LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES. MANY OTHER DRIVERS HAVE PUT THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GOOD USE BY CHANGING THEIR DRIVING HABITS.

HOWEVER, SOME OF THESE DRIVERS LEARNED LITTLE FROM THE COURSE AND HAD TO BE PUNISHED MORE SEVERELY. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR TIME HERE AND AVOID FUTURE DRIVING PROBLEMS. AFTER COMPLETING THE BASIC COURSE, YOUR CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION WILL PROVE TO THE CLERK OF COURTS THAT YOU HAVE HONORED YOUR OBLIGATION.