A week after the clocks fell back, the evening drive home from school, practice, or a part-time job looks very different. For experienced drivers, it’s an adjustment. For a teen who has mostly practiced in daylight, it can be a whole new skill.
What AAA Is Warning About
In an Oct. 28 release from Tampa, AAA – The Auto Club Group noted that when daylight saving time ended at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, mornings became brighter but darkness began arriving earlier, creating new visibility challenges during the evening commute.
“Drivers can expect a noticeable change in their commute almost overnight,” a AAA spokesperson said. “Morning sun glare can make it difficult to see the road ahead, while earlier darkness makes pedestrians and cyclists harder to spot in the evening.”
The release points to research worth sharing with any new driver:
- Pedestrian deaths and darkness. According to AAA, research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that the increase in pedestrian fatalities since reaching a historic low in 2009 has occurred almost entirely in darkness, primarily on urban arterial roads.
- The time change itself. AAA also cites IIHS research finding that pedestrian deaths rise when standard time resumes.
- Drowsy driving. AAA notes that NHTSA reports 644 people were killed in drowsy-driving-related crashes in 2024, and that drowsiness can be difficult for crash investigators to identify.
Florida’s Night Limits for Teen Drivers
Florida’s graduated driver licensing rules already account for the extra risk of night driving. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV):
- Learner’s license: Driving is allowed during daylight hours only for the first three months after the license is issued, then until 10 p.m. A licensed driver 21 or older must always be in the car.
- Practice hours: Teens need 50 hours of supervised driving, and 10 of those must be at night.
- 16-year-old drivers: Driving is allowed only between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m., unless driving to or from work or accompanied by a licensed driver 21 or older.
- 17-year-old drivers: Driving is allowed only between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m., with the same exceptions.
With earlier sunsets, learners in their first three months have less daylight to practice after school. Learners past that point can fit their 10 night hours in before dinner.
What Florida Law Says About Headlights
The Official Florida Driver License Handbook reminds drivers that you can’t see as far ahead at night, and glare from oncoming traffic can reduce your vision even more. Florida law says you must:
- Use headlights between sunset and sunrise.
- Use low beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 300 feet of a vehicle ahead of you.
- Never drive with only parking lights in place of headlights.
The handbook also advises drivers to avoid “over driving” their headlights, to drive slowly after leaving a brightly lit area until their eyes adjust, and not to look directly at oncoming headlights.
AAA’s Tips for the New Driving Conditions
After dark:
- See and be seen. Check headlights, taillights, brake lights, and turn signals, and replace yellowed or cloudy headlight lenses.
- Adjust for reduced visibility. Slow down, increase following distance, and drive slowly enough to stop within the area your headlights light up.
- Watch for people outside vehicles. Scan intersections, shoulders, bus stops, and crosswalks for pedestrians and cyclists.
In the morning:
- Prepare for sun glare. Keep sunglasses within reach and use the sun visor.
- Keep a clear view. Clean the windshield inside and out, since haze and streaks can intensify glare.
- Leave more room. Drivers ahead may brake suddenly when glare hits.
Tips for Parents Riding Along
- Start on familiar roads. Let your teen’s first dusk drives happen on routes they already know in daylight.
- Talk through what you see. Point out pedestrians in dark clothing, cyclists, and people waiting at bus stops before your teen reaches them.
- Practice headlight habits. Make switching between high and low beams routine.
- Watch for fatigue. A tired teen after a long school day shouldn’t push through a practice drive.
Getting Started: The DETS Course
Before any of that practice, Florida’s newest drivers need a learner’s license, and the first step is a driver education course. Defensive Drivers Institute’s Florida DETS course is FLHSMV-approved, 100% online, and lets you stop anytime and pick up where you left off. Florida requires DETS for new drivers under 18 who have never held a driver license from another state, country, or jurisdiction. Topics include defensive driving, hazard recognition, distracted and drowsy driving, and sharing the road with pedestrians and cyclists. Completion is reported to the state, and then you’re ready for the permit test.
For more on the requirement, read our Florida DETS guide for teens.
The Bottom Line
Earlier darkness raises the stakes for every driver, especially new ones. Use these weeks to practice at dusk with a supervising adult, keep headlights clean, and watch closely for people on foot.
Ready to take the first step toward a learner’s license? Start the Florida DETS course.
