Sheriff Dawsy is committed to the safety of the community including our
youth and has implemented a number of programs directing the efforts of
the Sheriff’s Office to provide education and training to protect
them. These programs have targeted issues that concern parents, and
now Sheriff Dawsy is offering a new program specifically designed for the
teen driver. The program is known as “The Teen Driver
Challenge". The challenge is backed by the Florida Sheriff’s
Association and supported by the Sheriff.
The Teen Driver Challenge is the result of a committee assembled
by the Florida Sheriff’s Association, including law enforcement
driving instructors from around the state and the Citrus County
Sheriff’s Office.
The committee identified that 25% to 30% of teen drivers will be
involved in a crash during the first year of driving. Traffic
crashes are the number one cause of death among teens and cause
billions of dollars in loss annually.
The Teen Driver Challenge is an effective program providing
information and first hand experience. If confronted with
an emergency situation students who complete this course will
have the knowledge and skills to react accordingly and reduce
the chance of becoming a statistic.
With those statistics alone it was imperative that the committee
address ways to reduce the risk our teens have in driving and
build a program to provide instruction by Florida Department of
Law Enforcement Certified Driving Instructors. The Teen
Driver Challenge is not an advanced driving course. It is
a defensive driving program that covers the following topics and
driving exercises:
Topics (4 Hours - Classroom)
- Vehicle Dynamics
- Human Factors
- Responsibility
- Liability
- Drug and Alcohol Use
- Night Driving
- Aggressive Driving and Road Rage
Driving Exercises (8 Hours - Driving Range)
- Threshold, ABS, and Emergency Braking
- Evasive Maneuvers
- Cornering
- Backing
- Forward and Reverse Serpentine
- Figure 8
- Off Road Recovery
- Skid Control
Classes are scheduled weekly at each area high school. Please
click on the link above to view a schedule. The teen is required
to have a valid Florida Operators License and drive a car they will
be using a majority of the time. (The Sheriff’s Office will not
provide cars for this program.) Please return all forms to your
child's school resource officer. The Sheriff's Office will also
provide classes on a quarterly basis to students who are unable to
attend a class at a high school. Simply return the completed
forms to the Sheriff's Office.
Please click the links below for release forms and
applications. For further information please call the Sheriff’s
Office or contact the School Resource Officer at your child’s high
school.
726-2241 Ext. 235 - SRO, Citrus High School
795-4641 Ext. 244 - SRO, Crystal River High School
746-2334 Ext. 247 - SRO, Lecanto High School