For the first time in nearly two decades, Floridians seeking a driver’s license will need to pass the state exam exclusively in English. This decision comes in the wake of a tragic accident involving an undocumented immigrant who had failed the exam ten times prior to the incident.
Last week, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles announced this English-only policy, which will take effect Friday. The initiative aims to “promote clear communication, understanding of traffic laws, and responsible driving behavior.”
Officials explained that the change was motivated by a fatal crash last summer involving Hardjiner Singh, an undocumented immigrant who possessed a commercial driver’s license from California.
Singh reportedly made an illegal U-turn with a tractor-trailer, resulting in a collision that claimed the lives of three individuals.
Later investigations revealed that Singh had managed to obtain a California license despite failing the English competency test.
This incident led to significant public outcry and reevaluation of language requirements for commercial drivers.
Governor Ron DeSantis expressed support for the reform, stating, “This is a good reform by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to require driver’s exams to be administered only in English.” He shared his thoughts on social media.
Yet, the policy faced criticism from the Democratic Party. Nikki Fried, a former state agriculture commissioner, condemned the change, noting that “Florida, one of the most multilingual states in the country, plans to administer its driver’s license test only in English.” She added, “This is not a safety issue; this is a racism issue.”
Authorities noted that Singh entered the U.S. unlawfully in 2018 and was residing in California at the time of the crash.
Records indicate that he had failed the CDL knowledge exam ten times and the air brake test twice within a two-month span in Washington state before ultimately securing his license.
Days after the accident, Singh was arrested in Stockton, California, and was later extradited to Florida. He faces charges of three counts of vehicular homicide and three counts of manslaughter.
He has pleaded not guilty and is currently being held without bail in the St. Lucie County Jail.
