Ohio budget changes driver's education requirements. Here's the new law
The two-year state budget signed by Gov. Mike DeWine modifies current law, which allows 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds to take a short class or avoid lessons altogether. DeWine spent months advocating for the change, saying new, adult drivers need just as much training as teenagers.
"We know that young people who go through driver's training become safer drivers − safer for themselves and safer for everyone else on the road," DeWine said during a July 1 news conference. "And that's not just true for young people. It's true for adults."
Right now, Ohioans under 18 must take a driver's education course with 24 hours of classroom or online instruction and eight hours of driving time. They also have to drive 50 hours with a parent or guardian − including 10 at night − and hold their temporary permit for at least six months.
Adults, by contrast, can skip training altogether if they pass a road test. Those who don't must complete a four-hour course, plus abbreviated behind-the-wheel training with an instructor or licensed driver.
DeWine said the consequences are clear: Last year, 58% of fatal crashes caused by a teen driver involved 18- and 19-year-olds, according to the Ohio Traffic Safety Office.
More adults are getting driver's licenses for the first time, in part because teenagers wait to avoid the cost of a full course. Driving schools are also less accessible to people in rural areas.
Lawmakers scrapped a budget proposal from DeWine to put driver's education back in schools. Instead, the state will require districts to excuse high school students who take a private driving course. Students can only miss eight hours of school and won't be able to leave during a core class.
State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at hbemiller@gannett.com or @haleybemiller on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio will require full driver's education course for people under 21
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