On a tragic day, December 11th 2024, my 18 year old son Isaiah Raposa was killed in a hit and run accident. The driver responsible never had a valid driver's license, despite having been pulled over multiple times within the same year for the same offense. Each time, he never received more than a slap on the wrist – a misdemeanor charge, a minor inconvenience – rather than facing the appropriate felony charges that his repeated disregard for the law warranted. Just a ticket, and back on the streets he went, free to endanger lives once more.

Currently, in the state of Florida, if you've never had a driver's license and you are caught driving without one, no matter how many times you're pulled over, it never escalates to a felony charge. However, if someone has had a license that got suspended or revoked, on the third offense it rightly becomes a felony and the driver is recognized as a habitual offender. This glaring inconsistency in the law is not only unjust, it's dangerous. It offers undue leniency to individuals who have never gone through the proper channels to secure a valid license yet continue to operate vehicles unlawfully.

Driving is a privilege, not a right. Those who choose to ignore the legal requirements to obtain a driver's license are showing blatant disregard for public safety and must face more severe consequences. Extending the same felony designation to those who drive without ever obtaining a license after three offenses, as also applied to habitual offenders with a suspended or revoked license, would serve as a significant deterrent and potentially save lives.

We must push for legislative change. This petition seeks to amend Florida's traffic laws to impose a felony charge after the third offense for driving without a valid license, whether one has never been obtained or has been revoked. This change would align the consequences more fairly and address the gap that allows unlicensed individuals to continuously evade stricter repercussions.

Sign this petition and let's urge Florida lawmakers to take necessary action to ensure that all drivers on our roads are licensed and accountable, thereby protecting our families, our friends, and our communities from preventable tragedies like the one that took Isaiah Raposa's life.