As my late father used to put it, in his usual laconic way, common sense isn’t. And yet, every so often, a flash of it breaks through — even in government.
Case in point: the great state of Florida is now administering driver’s license exams in English — and only English, from learner’s permits all the way up. No translations. No workarounds. Just the language of the road signs, the laws, and the country.
Several people in Tallahassee (looking at you, Republicans!) clearly had a long-overdue rush of clarity:
Florida has officially changed how new drivers are tested statewide, introducing a rule that affects every applicant seeking a driver license or learner permit.
Beginning Friday, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles started administering all driver license exams exclusively in English.
The change applies to written knowledge tests, road skills exams, and any oral examinations required during the licensing process.
State officials confirmed that exams will no longer be offered in other languages and interpreter services are no longer permitted during testing.
The updated policy applies to both non commercial and commercial driver license applicants.
To be clear, this wasn’t always the standard. Under the old rules, Florida allowed driver’s license tests to be taken in Spanish. And yes, Florida has a large Spanish-speaking population, including Cuban refugees and their descendants who came here legally and built thriving communities.
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But that doesn’t change the fundamental reality: the United States is an English-speaking country. Our road signs are in English. Our traffic laws are written in English. Emergency instructions are issued in English. That’s not a cultural preference — it’s a safety requirement.
Now, at long last, the driver’s license test reflects that reality. As it should:
In the past, Florida allowed many non commercial exams to be taken in multiple languages, while some commercial exams were available in English and Spanish.
Under the new rule, all testing formats must be completed in English regardless of license type.
According to the department, the goal of the change is to ensure consistency across the state and confirm that licensed drivers can read and understand traffic laws, road signs, and safety instructions written in English.
In an unusually restrained response, I’ll keep it simple: good.
We’ve seen far too many high-profile incidents in recent months where a lack of English proficiency behind the wheel ended in disaster. Driving demands comprehension — of signs, warnings, and instructions — and pretending otherwise is reckless. The new requirement applies only to new applicants, not existing license holders, and renewals in most jurisdictions don’t require retesting if handled within a set window. That may be an imperfect compromise, but it’s likely the best deal that could be secured.
Predictably, the Left will howl “racism,” probably at a decibel level detectable from the Tau Ceti system. That’s fine. This isn’t about race; it’s about functionality and safety. We are an English-speaking country. Our road signs are in English. Our traffic laws are in English.
And let’s be honest about where the alternative leads. Start mandating multilingual signage and it never ends — Spanish today, Chinese tomorrow, Arabic next, then Farsi, and eventually whatever else the grievance lobby demands. Re-signing every highway and byway would be staggeringly expensive, endlessly contested, and completely unnecessary.
This answer is the proper one: If you want to drive legally, Florida now says, learn to speak and read English. Otherwise, you are a pedestrian, or you can buy a bicycle.
