COLUMBUS, Ohio – Gov. Mike DeWine hopes his new $50 million plan to bring driver training back to Ohio high schools marks the first step toward a bigger goal: making Ohio only the second state in the nation to require all drivers—not just teens—to complete training before getting licensed.
Right now, the high price of private, for-profit driving schools—some charging as much as $850 per student—is pushing many families to delay getting their teens behind the wheel. Instead, they’re waiting until their kids turn 18, when state law no longer requires drivers training.
DeWine and other state officials say the trend is dangerous. They point to a 2022 state study showing 18- and 19-year-olds are more likely to die in car crashes than 16- and 17-year-olds. And they fear the surge of untrained, newly licensed drivers is partly to blame…