It Just Got Harder to Get a Driver's License in the State of Ohio
A new state budget requires any Ohioan under the age of 21 to complete a full driver-training course.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine had also looked to move driver training into the public school system, but that's not currently happening.
Thanks to a newly passed state budget in Ohio, adults looking to get a driver's license in the state will have to complete a driver education class, similar to that required for new drivers under the age of 18. If you're not an Ohio resident, it may come as a surprise that this wasn't already a requirement, but it's true. Previously, if you deferred getting your driving license from 16 until 18, all you needed to do was pass a road test or complete a four-hour course.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has been calling for a change to this loophole for months, and has now signed into the budget the requirement that any Ohioan 21 and under will be required to pass a full course. He cites local collision records as proof positive that current driving training isn't cutting it: in 2024, more than half of fatal crashes with teen drivers involved 18- or 19-year-olds. From the statistics, younger drivers may actually be better trained.
If you're a new driver under the age of 18 in Ohio, required driver training is about the same as in many other states: 24 hours of classroom instruction (online is also allowable) is followed by eight hours of on-the-road driving, with a requirement of a further 50 hours of instruction by a parent or guardian. A temporary driving permit has to be held for at least six months.
Getty Images
With it being so easy to just wait until an 18th birthday and wing it, many young drivers choose the path of least resistance. Now, that route is closed, although it's not all good news for public safety.
Gov. DeWine had also looked for an inclusion in the state budget that would make driver education part of the public school curriculum. Other legislators nixed this, keeping driving schools in the private sector. Students will, however, be allowed to leave school outside of core classes to attend a driving class.
If you live in a rural part of Ohio, the new rules might be something of a pain, as accessibility to driving schools is limited. However, the online component at least should be straightforward, and requiring more education and time behind the wheel is undoubtedly a good thing for road safety as a whole.
Brendan McAleer
Contributing Editor
Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. Read full bio
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Stellantis to absorb $1.7 billion in tariff costs in back half of the year
Big Three automaker Stellantis (STLA) updated its first half financials after releasing preliminary figures last week, noting that President Trump's tariffs cost 1.5 billion euros ($1.73 billion) in 2025. Stellantis did however re-instate financial guidance for the year. Stellantis — which counts brands like Ram, Jeep, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo in its product portfolio — said it revenues in the first half of 2025 to come in at 74.3 billion euros ($86.13 billion), down 13% year over resulting in a net loss of 2.3 billion euros ($2.67 billion). Last year in the same period Stellantis reported 5.6 billion euros ($6.48 billion) in net profit. Stellantis said adjusted operating income (AOI) came in at 500 million euros ($579.6 million), with cash flows from operating activities slipping to a loss of 2.3 billion euros ($2.67 billion). With that said, Stellantis now projects new guidance for the second half of the year expects to see increased net revenues, low-single digit AOI profitability, and improved industrial free cash flow results. Stellantis said this assumes current tariff and trade rules in place as of July 29, 2025. Stellantis stock was down 4% in the pre-market. "2025 is turning out to be a tough year, but also one of gradual improvement. Signs of progress are evident when comparing H1 2025 to H2 2024, in the form of improved volumes, Net revenues, and AOI, despite intensifying external headwinds," new CEO Antonio Filosa said in a statement. Stellantis said last week that it absorbed approximately 300 million euros ($347.77 million) in tariff-related costs as well as loss of planned production in the first half of the year. Only two months ago, Stellantis selected Filosa, a 25-year veteran of the company and current Americas COO, as its new chief executive. His tenure began on June 23, with interim CEO John Elkann remaining as executive chair. Filosa has his hands full repairing the Stellantis business. For the second quarter, Stellantis said global deliveries fell to 1.447 million units from 1.537 million a year ago, down 6%. Sales tumbled in the US 25%, while the greater European region saw sales drop 6%. Stellantis has been trying to pare bloated inventories in the US with pricing incentives and production cuts, and those measures have helped. But the big question remains, at least in the US, of the effect of auto sector tariffs targeting Canada and Mexico production. Stellantis makes several vehicles in Canada and Mexico, where 25% sector tariffs apply to all imports, in addition to auto parts tariffs. Last quarter, Stellantis idled production at plants in Canada and Mexico as a result of tariffs. Read more: 5 ways to tariff-proof your finances A just-announced US-EU tariff deal could help Stellantis, but issues including unpopular vehicles and existing tariffs for Canadian and Mexican imports will still be a problem. Pras Subramanian is the lead auto reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Montgomery Co. council member proposes new bike safety legislation
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) – There's a push to protect bicyclists in Montgomery County after nearly five dozen crashes involving them this year. Part of the problem is that drivers are using bike lanes as their own. Montgomery County Council Member Evan Glass says there have been 59 cyclist-involved crashes since January, one of which was deadly. He's proposing a bill to keep vehicles from standing, stopping or parking in bike lanes. 'We need to make sure that our roads are safe for everybody,' Glass said. It's something that cyclists say is needed. 'Blocked bike lanes force cyclists to move into car traffic, thus, negating the very purpose of those bike lanes,' Peter Gray with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association said. Capital Bikeshare to increase prices amid high demand For some, there have been a number of close encounters. 'On one occasion, a FedEx truck pulled into the bike lane as I was coming and didn't even check. I had to brake very hard to avoid colliding into the truck,' Erica Herrera, who rides her bike every day to and from work, said. Daniel Langenkamp's wife, Sarah, died in 2022 after a truck hit her bike. 'There are lots of people that would like to use bike lanes, but they can't because cars and trucks regularly park in the street, in the bike lane, keeping people from using those bike lanes safely,' Langenkamp said. Glass said, 'What this legislation will do is allow everybody who sees an obstruction to call 311 to contact the Department of Transportation immediately, and the department and agencies will then deploy individuals to make sure that blockage is fixed.' Glass will introduce his bike safety bill during Tuesday's council meeting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
LG Innotek to take stake in lidar maker Aeva as part of $50 million deal
By Stephen Nellis SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Aeva Technologies said on Tuesday that South Korean camera module maker LG Innotek will take an equity stake in Aeva as part of a $50 million strategic collaboration. Aeva makes lidar sensors that help vehicles and industrial equipment gain a detailed three-dimensional view of their environment and detect how fast surrounding objects are moving. It supplies sensors to vehicle firms such as Daimler Truck and industrial equipment makers such as Nikon. As part of the deal, LG Innotek will make a $32 million equity investment in Aeva for a "single-digit percentage ownership" in the company, Aeva CEO Soroush Salehian told Reuters in an interview. The remainder of the deal will go toward building production capacity for sensors that can go into robotics and consumer devices, in addition to Aeva's existing markets of vehicles and industrial equipment. 'The ultimate goal of this partnership is for LG Innotek and Aeva to grow together as key players leading the next-generation lidar market through a long-term technology partnership that goes beyond the supply of products,' the South Korean electronics supplier's CEO, Hyuksoo Moon, said in a statement. Salehian told Reuters that Aeva is working to integrate its entire sensor into a single chip whose price can be driven low enough to make it viable in consumer electronics such as augmented reality headsets. "The roadmap that we're going towards is double-digit dollars," Salehian told Reuters. "We are already working towards the next generation that will allow for a very low-cost solution, which we think will be a game changer for mass adoption of what we call precision sensing."
