At midnight, a new law kicks in for drivers in Ohio who are 21 and younger.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, if these young drivers want to get their license, they must take driver’s education classes first.
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On Monday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said the state has seen too many teenagers wait until they are 18 to get their license.
At that age, the old law allowed them to opt out of driver’s education classes.
“You would not believe how many people don’t know what a flashing yellow light means,” President of D&D Driving School Sharon Fife said.
Fife has been teaching people how to drive since the early 90s and thinks everyone, no matter the age, should take driver’s education classes before getting behind the wheel.
“If you don’t understand what you’re looking at on the roadway, how are you going to react appropriately?” Fife said.
“We know inexperience behind the wheel is really the #1 killer,” DeWine said.
During a news conference on Monday, DeWine and the Department of Public Safety said there were almost 100 deadly crashes involving teenagers in 2024.
“70% of those were the fault of the teen driver,” DeWine added.
People 18 to 20 hoping to get their license are now legally required to complete 24 hours of classroom training, eight hours behind the wheel with a licensed instructor, and 50 hours with a parent or supervised driver.
The governor and other state leaders also announced the new Roadready Ohio app.
“When they’re ready to begin logging practice hours, the driving supervisor starts the time drive from their phone. The app will log the drive time and use the phone’s telematics to provide feedback to the new driver,” Emily Davidson said. “Once the 50 hours are completed, the required BMV affidavit can be generated with the completed 50-hour log. It can then be printed, signed by an eligible adult, notarized, and taken to the BMV when the driver applies for their license.”
DeWine wants those teaching new drivers to be actively involved in the training.
Fife has some advice for those training new drivers.
“I tell parents many times, don’t tell them what to do, and they should be telling you. Okay, I see the light up ahead, I’m putting my foot on the brake, I’m checking the intersection, okay, now it’s safe to turn left,” Fife said.
To avoid new drivers misusing the Roadready app, state leaders say only the parent or driving supervisor account can activate the driving log feature.
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