A big 50 hours change is coming to one state and soon teens will be saying goodbye to shortcuts in terms of acquiring a driver’s license. Citizens in Ohio, especially drivers under 21, will now need to partake in a full driver’s education eliminating the shortcuts that were previously available. This decision was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine as per the two-year budget. Since the change will be put in place from September, it becomes vital to understand why this change has come to be.
Bidding farewell to minimal driving training
While Ohio always allowed adults who were 18 years and older to get a license with barely any training, this is no longer the case. What initially was a four hour training initiative, or no training at all is now going in the direction of 50 hours of supervised driving practice for all teens.
The change was driven by crash data which provoked Governor DeWine to get involved. The data showed that about 58% of all crashes were caused by teens, specifically 18 and 19-year-olds.
Therefore, anyone below 21 would need to go through:
- 50 hours of driving practice whilst being supervised by an adult.
- 10 of the 50 hours of driving practice needs to happen at home.
- 24 hours of classroom and online education is vital.
- A temporary permit needs to be held for half a year before the license becomes permanent.
- 8 hours of driving lessons need to be taken with a driving instructor.
The Governor feels that the implementation of these rules would lead to less shocking crash data in the future.
Ensuring safety on the state roads
Safety on state roads was deemed a top priority for Ohio, however, many business groups and community leaders feel that the law could harm young adults in terms of job access. More so, the concern is that teens in rural areas would be most affected by these new rules.
Although many parents understand the full benefit of this road safety initiative, the problem is that the full driving program comes with a hefty price tag. With driving schools in Ohio charging above $400 for the course, many families will be unable to afford this added expense.
The suggestion proposed by Governor DeWine to remedy the cost setback was to reintroduce driver’s ed in all public schools ensuring that even students who struggle to afford such programs can be catered for. In the final state budget, however, this provision of driver’s ed in public schools was scrapped entirely.
Reliance on schools for assistance
While schools won’t be providing driver’s ed, teens taking private driving lessons will need to be excused from school classes to take driving classes. All students will be allowed to miss about 8 hours of school to take driver’s lessons, however, they will not be able to miss core academic classes in favor of driving lessons.
Governor DeWine does see the bigger picture and promises to work alongside all local schools to ensure that training options in the public education sphere is on offer.
It may be harder for some to acquire their license in this state, while thousands will have their driver’s license suspensions lifted.
The cost of promoting road safety in this state
As Ohio is becoming more stringent and getting rid of any allowances in favor of skipping formal driving training, the state is seeking to prioritize young driver’s preparedness. The evidence points in favor of a crash reduction rate if drivers under 21 are properly trained to drive well.
While this is not at all convenient for many teens, the question that looms large is whether all young drivers will have equal access to this type of on-the-road training. This law will be effective from September 2025 for all new drivers in Ohio as according to the Ohio Traffic Safety Office. This road-related change comes in the same year that the Governor decided to reduce license suspensions in the state.
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