Volusia County Beaches

There aren’t many beaches that allow you to drive right onto the sand. Daytona Beach is one of the few, and it’s become something of a unique tradition there, even a point of pride. So when the Volusia County Council voted last month to restrict beach driving in front of a few proposed five-star hotels, there was an outcry from some residents. Council members say curtailing the beach driving will stimulate development. But locals say the beach driving itself is a tourism draw. Now, the fight is going to court in the first of what may be many battles over beach driving.

Rescuers recovered the body of a teenager missing in the surf off New Smyrna Beach. Rip currents are continuing to make swimming conditions hazardous.