If your license or registration is coming up for renewal you might want to consider doing it earlier than usual to avoid being unable to renew online when the system is down.

The agency’s online operations will shut down Friday, Sept. 7 at 6 a.m. (EDT) for the first phase of the move. Online services are scheduled to be up and running again by 9 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 10. DHSMV employees will not have access to work email nor will customers be able to access its website. Though the agency hopes to conduct the move over a weekend and be back online early on Sept. 10, it is not scheduling appointments for Sept. 10 and 11 in case not all online services are operating.

Online operations will shut down again on Saturday, Sept. 21 for the second phase of the move, but office communications won’t be affected. DHSMV is scheduled to be back online Monday, Sept. 23.

School ones require drivers to slow down and use caution when passing through the area because children are often present. Anyone who has ever seen a child at play, or has a child of their own, know that their behavior is often erratic and unpredictable. It is very difficult to know where they will run next, what they will do in any given situation or how to know what they will do next.

This type of unpredictable environment makes driving in areas where children are present very dangerous. this is why traffic laws are different in this area and punishment of drivers, usually in the form of fines, are more severe.

This why the Florida Department of Transportation is on a mission to warn drivers that school is in and they should watch for children. The Florida DOT has launched a new public safety awareness campaign aimed directly at drivers in areas where children are present, or who drive through residential areas. These drivers are likely to encounter children walking to and from their bust stop, or even to and from school. That means they need to slow down and drive with caution.

Failure to drive with caution when children are present can not only result in a traffic citation it can also have tragic results.

From the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website:

Any unpaid ticket reported by another state will result in the suspension of your Florida license. If this has happened you must contact the county where you received the ticket and obtain a receipt with the Court seal. You must present this receipt to DHSMV via fax (850-617-5178), or mail, or in person at any Florida Driver License Office. There will be a D6 suspension reinstatement fee due if the ticket was paid after the Florida suspension date. If you are not sure if you owe the D6 suspension reinstatement fee or have trouble contacting the county where you received the ticket, please call 850-617-2000 or inquire at your local Driver License Office in person.

If a ticket is listed incorrectly on your Florida driving record, please contact the Customer Service Center at 850-617-2000.

Any drivers who receives more than 12 points on their license in a 12 month period will have their Florida driving license suspended. Just to be clear, here is the breakdown regarding points earned on your license resulting in suspension of driving privileges:

The department is authorized to suspend the license of any person who has accumulated 12 or more points within one year. Points are calculated by the date you received the ticket.

12 points accumulated in 12 months will result in a 30 day suspension of your driving privilege.

18 points accumulated in 18 months (including points from a 12 point suspension) will result in a 3-month suspension of your driving privilege.

24 points accumulated in 36 months (including points from a 12 point and /or 18 point suspension) will result in a one-year suspension of your driving privilege.

The issue has been at the forefront of the minds of insurance providers as they search for some way to help customers who already pay higher rates for home insurance and flood insurance because of the frequency of storms in the Sunshine State.

A new study shows that it is costing the average resident $1,784 a year for automobile insurance. That’s more than 3 percent of household income and more than twice the share of income spent in states like Massachusetts and North Carolina, according to research released Monday by CarInsuranceQuotes.com, affiliated with Bankrate Inc. of North Palm Beach.

Among the most controversial items under discussion is the state’s requirement for PIP insurance:

In one of Gov. Rick Scott’s top legislative priorities, PIP reforms that began taking effect in Florida July 1 are supposed to crack down on fraud and bring down some costs over time. But the changes still preserve a $2 billion government mandate that requires Florida drivers to purchase the medical coverage regardless of whatever health insurance they already have, whether from Medicare, their plan at work or other sources.

A road Florida did not take — getting rid of PIP or no-fault insurance — helped Colorado land in the 20 least expensive states, at No. 32. The last state to drop a no-fault system, Colorado saw its overall premiums drop 35 percent in five years. Its costs now for a typical resident according to Monday’s study: $1,562 or 2.3 percent of household income.

Michigan, another no-fault state, led the nation with the most expensive insurance compared to household income. The typical household there pays 8 percent of its income for car insurance, or $4,490.

State Farm started offering its “Drive Safe & Save” program this summer around country. Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan, Georgia, Alabama, Indiana, Minnesota, Utah and Washington were the first states to get the new program, with Florida drivers getting the offer on June 25. The program was previously offered in only five states: California, Illinois, Colorado, Ohio and Texas.

Progressive insurance is so far the only other company which offers discounts to drivers who drive less.

The idea is simple enough and seems very fair. If you drive less, they reason, you are a lower risk than someone who drives more often or for longer durations. That makes you a much lower risk.

State Farm’s program provides discounts to all eligible customers who allow the insurer to track how much they drive. The discount, initially 5 percent, could increase after six months to 10 percent for those who drive 1,000 miles a month, the national average, or as high as about 40 percent for those who drive the least, said State Farm spokeswoman Michal Connolly.

Progressive uses a variety of information that is tracked, such as how often someone hits the brakes, while State Farm uses only mileage, according to Office of Insurance Regulation spokeswoman Amy Bogner.

Find out how you can save money on your car insurance by using our online traffic school!

So, who is responsible for safety on these congested roads? Everyone is.

That’s right, according to the 2012 Florida Driver’s Handbook: “Every driver, motorcyclist, moped rider, bicyclist and pedestrian must do everything possible to avoid a crash.” That means nobody is exempt from not only following proper traffic regulations, but also yielding to someone else who might not. There is no “me” when it comes to traffic safety in Florida. If you force a collision to make a point you will likely be cited by police for failing to comply with Florida. That’s just the breaks.

If you plan on driving in Florida now or any time in the future know the law, know your rights, but also know that you are responsible for yours and everyone else’s safety when you do.

Get a speeding ticket, pay the fine, or your driving privileges will be indefinitely suspended. The same goes for any sort of driving citation you might get. If there is a fine attached you MUST pay the fine to the county in which it was issued or the BMV will suspend your license.

It’s simple math for Florida drivers. Unpaid tickets = suspended license. Period.

Tickets must be paid to the traffic court in the county in which the citation was issued. Some traffic courts allow payment online via credit card. Check the traffic court web site to determine if you can pay yours now.

How do I clear a suspension for failure to complete court-ordered school or school election was made, but I did not attend, or school election was made and I was not eligible to attend?

Driver license is suspended indefinitely. Contact the traffic court in the county where the traffic summons was issued, satisfy the traffic summons and present proof of the satisfaction plus a D6 suspension reinstatement fee in any Florida driver license office.

Out-of-state residents must send the satisfaction and a D6 suspension reinstatement fee and a letter of residency.

Across the nation more and more documents are being required by people seeking identification of any sort. These efforts are being made to help circumvent efforts by some unscrupulous people to steal identities or create false or fictitious identities in order to commit crimes.

In Florida the new list of documents required is readily available online, so before you head down to the local license branch be sure you visit the web site and check the list.

Identification
Bring one:

Certified U.S. birth certificate
Valid U.S. passport
Certificate of naturalization
Consular proof of birth abroad
Alien registration receipt card
(green card, form I-551)

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
Pay check showing number
Any 1099 form

3. Residential Address (not post office box)
Bring two:

Deed, mortgage, payment booklet, or rental agreement.
Florida vehicle registration or title
Utility bill or hookup/work order
Statement from person you live with along with two address documents in that person’s name.

• For information on How to Change Your California Address, click:
  How to Change Your California Address

• For information on Car Registration Florida: Titling and Registering a Car in Florida Is Easy (Car Registrations in Florida), click: Car Registration Florida: Titling and Registering a Car in Florida Is Easy (Car Registrations in Florida)

• For More Information About Car Register in California, Click : How to Register a Car in California

The lawmakers hope to use GPS tracking devices installed in all vehicles to keep track of how miles you drive, then tax you accordingly. This has some Florida drivers angry that the new system will end up costing some of them more than others. Of course, that’s the idea: to charge based on usage, not a flat tax for everyone including those who don’t drive very much at all.

Florida Charging for Miles You Drive

Florida is among a handful of states pushing to tax drivers for how many miles they travel rather than how much gas they buy.

Florida drivers pay no more than 59 cents fuel tax per gallon at this time, but as fuel efficient cars gain popularity, that gas tax collected is falling short of the amount needed for road repair. The main option Florida and other states, like Oregon and Minnesota, have focused on is a GPS technology that would track and charge you for how many miles you drive. Your fee would then be divided up between the state, county and local transportation departments, based on which roads you use.

To improve congestion, the Florida Transportation Commission has also discussed placing a higher tax on roads more traveled during peak hours.

Since so many drivers travel between states, the transportation commissioner says this mileage based user fee needs to be a nationwide effort. Florida is among the states trying to get the rest on board.

Unfortunately the Florida Supreme Court has ruled that police cannot force someone to submit to a breath test, nor can they force someone to submit to a blood draw in order to determine their sobriety level, unless there has been a serious traffic crash with injury or fatality. This means that Florida drivers who do not want to submit don’t have to and police can’t make them.

All of this has resulted in an increased number of drunk drivers on the road and little way for police to get them off the road unless they witness them doing something illegal.

Eyewitness News has learned that four out of 10 drivers stopped for DUI in Florida refuse breathalyzers. That is in spite of what is printed on Florida’s drivers licenses, “Operator of a motor vehicle constitutes consent to any sobriety test required by law.”

Traditionally, the Fourth of July weekend is among the deadliest on Florida’s roads. If this year is like most, dozens of people will be killed by drivers who have been drinking.

“It is a very dangerous weekend to be on the road,” said Assistant State Attorney Michelle Perlman.

It is also very frustrating for law enforcement. The word is out in Florida that if you’re suspected of driving drunk you should not submit to a breath test.

“I think in county court, DUI is probably 40 percent of the docket,” said Perlman.

However, at least four out of 10 in Florida refuse a breath test, making prosecution more difficult.

Among the reams of information available to buyers are driver license numbers, personal contact information and driving records including tickets and crashes.

Some of the companies purchasing data from the state have had issues in the past with keeping information safe.

If you have a Florida’s driver license, there are already several businesses that have some of your personal information.

In the last year, the state made $49 million dollars selling the info of Florida drivers to seven different data collection companies: Acxiom, Explore Information Services, Lexis-Nexis, Linebarger, Goggan, Blair, & Sampson, ShadowSoft, TLO, and West Services (more commonly known as WestLaw).

The companies can purchase Florida drivers’ names, driver’s license numbers, dates of birth, addresses, and their driving record over the past seven years, which includes tickets and crashes.

Tampa resident Sonia Alley, speaking while waiting to get her license renewed at an HSMV office, said she wasn’t aware that her information was being sold.

“I don’t like it. I really don’t. We’re thinking these people are keeping everything private, and they’re selling it and making money? That’s not right,” Alley said.

There are an assortment of automatic traffic cameras available to communities these days. Some just monitor traffic congestion and drivers speed as they cruise the roads. Others are stationed at intersections and automatically snap photos of license plates of vehicles who fail to yield, stop or observe the laws governing the intersection, then automatically issue a citation sent to the registered owner of the vehicle.

It’s the kind of mail nobody wants to receive and something South Florida drivers are learning to hate. Of course, given that revenues from these traffic citations are increasing it seems very unlikely these cameras are going away any time soon. No matter what drivers have to say about them.

Whatever you think of South Florida red-light cameras — lifesavers or revenue generators — there’s one part of the system that’s particularly galling. If you meekly accept the ticket that’s been mailed to you, you pay $158. But if you want to fight in court, you have no choice but to gamble and risk nearly doubling the fine — to $295 — if you lose.

“Inherently unfair, and total coercion,” said Fort Lauderdale attorney Jason Forman.

Suzanne Bohen, who works near a camera intersection in Boca Raton, agrees. Boca started its red-light program in April, and Bohen got a violation in the mail last month. Although she admits she rolled through a right turn without coming to a full stop, she says she did so in a “careful and prudent manner,” as allowed by the state law regulating red-light cameras.

• Get the lowdown on Florida car registration – Learn more at Florida Car Registration!

For drivers the roads may mean better access and a faster trip to more isolated parts of the state. Or, they may not.

Not so long ago Florida officials had been embarking on a campaign to build one of the nations most complete and effective high-speed rail systems to transport large groups of people all around the state. The idea was that high speed rail would connect Central Florida (home of Disney World and dozens of other major tourist destinations) with outlying parts of the state including Miami, Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville. However, the current governor scrapped that plan in favor of simply building more roads. Unfortunately, where those roads will be built has been a point of contention between landowners, environmentalists, developers and politicians, with each group vying for the roads to be where they would be most likely to use them.

Florida is spending tens of thousands of dollars to help officials figure out where to put roads in the future.

But the state isn’t just talking to drivers stuck in traffic.

Instead, as part of its “future corridors” effort, the state is spending as much as $106,000 to have consultants interview major landowners across the state and find out about their development plans. The consultants are also supposed to come up with ways that the state could strike deals with these landowners to set aside land for what would most likely be toll roads.

The consultants include two former top executives from the St. Joe Company, the once-formidable real estate development firm that was forced to scale back its own efforts amid the collapse of the housing market.

At the conference traffic specialists, public safety advocates and others discussed not only the dangers of distracted driving, but also the results of efforts to control distracted driving and the things that might be applied in the future to help keep drivers safe(er) behind the wheel.

Distracted driving kills. That point is not widely argued, however, what remains under debate is exactly what sort of distractions might be most dangerous and how distracted drivers can be identified and controlled. Whether this is done through increased vigilance by police or is something which must be legislated, remains a point of contention for many. But the ‘Lifesavers’ seem to think, whatever can be done should be done. And the sooner the better.

Roundabouts are very common in England and across the United Kingdom where traffic congestion is a serious problem. City planners discovered decades ago that roundabouts were the most efficient way of keeping traffic flowing and helping people get from place to place without needing to slow down and stop and then proceed again. The waiting period for using a traffic roundabout, even at a busy intersections, is much less than it is at traditional western traffic intersections.

Florida drivers began seeing them start popping up a few years ago, and since then they have begun spreading across the state. Most residential neighborhoods now contain at least one roundabout and many old intersections are being replaced by them. There is definitely a learning curve for some drivers when it comes to safely navigating a roundabout but once drivers get used to them they soon find the bonuses they provide make a world of difference.

Rule No. 1: Roundabouts aren’t hard to figure out. Rule No. 2: Don’t drive fast.

These are the two “hard-and-fast rules” regarding roundabouts.

OK, that was pretty lame. But there is an overarching principle governing every roundabout everywhere: The driver inside the roundabout has the right-of-way.

This was gladly confirmed by our pal Lt. Ray Shupe of the Durango Police Department. “That’s correct. Traffic coming into the roundabout must yield to the cars already in the roundabout.”

Let Action Line reiterate two important words: must. yield.

So all you tardy inbound anger-management types can get over it. Yes, you have to stop to let fellow drivers turn up Riverview, and yes, you have to slow down.

Many tax payers feel they overly burdened when a toll is enacted because they are paying their fair share of taxes and therefore shouldn’t be charged twice for the same project. However their protests usually fall on deaf ears and politicians have the final say in the matter.

For instance the state of Florida made about $2.5 million collecting $2.50 from drivers on Alligator Alley last year and this year the toll will increase a full 50 cents to $3 per car. That is almost the same price as a gallon of gas, or what it would cost the average driver to travel 20 miles.

And that isn’t the only Florida toll road which will see an increase this year. All Florida state toll road fees will increase, the first increase in more than five years for many of them, and drivers in the state are not at all happy about it. Unfortunately, there is not much they can do about it except drive safe and dig deep if they plan on taking certainly routes to get from place to place.

Other state-run toll roads and bridges, including the Florida Turnpike, will see smaller toll hikes, said Debbie Tower, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Transportation. Most tolls will go up by a quarter, she said.

“The Florida Legislature requires us to raise the tolls once every five years to go along with inflation,” she said. “We’re now making these adjustments statewide.”

Alligator Alley’s tolls were last raised in February 2006.

In 2007, the Legislature decided that tolls should be linked to the Consumer Price Index and changed at least every five years, although officials can raise them as frequently as once a year.