TEENAGE drivers now have a unique opportunity to save hundreds of dollars on driving lessons.
And the opportunity comes just as a new law looms mandating they return to drivers ed classrooms and cars.
The newly required courses can cost teens hundred s of dollars[/caption]
Those impacted by the law will also need to have their driving supervised by parents and professional instructors[/caption]
Ohio drivers aged 15 to 21 are eligible to attend a free driver education course hosted by Bridgestone, called the Teens Drive Smart driving program.
By attending one of the two half-day sessions, drivers affected by the incoming law can put a sizable dent into the hours they now need to log before taking the state’s road test.
This could potentially save them from spending up to $400 on public state-certified courses, while some private schools charge $600 for a full program.
High school students can avoid most of these fees by enrolling in programs offered by their schools, but graduates will need to fork over cash instead.
However, even high school students will need to pay in order to log behind-the-wheel hours which are guided by an instructor.
Governor Mike DeWine initially planned to help fund driver’s education programs by supporting school-based programs and low income students, but these subsidies were removed from the law’s final draft.
The half-day program will educate teens aged 15 to 21 with a valid license or learner’s permit on defensive driving and vehicle safety and maintenance.
Leading the event and training will be Jonathon Bruhin, Consumer Sales Training Manager at Bridgestone Americas, and professional instructors with motorsports, stunt driving, and test track backgrounds.
Topics will include basic rules covered in traditional driver’s ed courses, but will go beyond these by addressing vehicle control techniques, handling adverse weather conditions, how to drive defensively, and more.
Two sessions are being held at Firestone Stadium in Akron on September 20, the first from 8 am to noon and the second from 1 pm to 5 pm. Those looking to attend can register on the course’s official website.
The state’s new law specifies that drivers must have 50 hours of driving supervised by an adult, 10 of which must be at night time, in combination with 24 hours of classroom lessons and 8 hours instructor-led driving to obtain their licenses.
This notably eliminates Ohio’s fast-track route for getting a driver’s license, which previously allowed teenagers aged 18 to 20 to keep taking the road test as many times as needed until passing.
Even those who passed the road test and are under the age of 21, but do not have the above supervised driving experience will need to obtain it before legally being able to drive again, regardless of how spotless their record is.
With fatal crashes involving 18 and 19-year-old drivers having accounted for 58% of driver-related fatalities in Ohio during 2024, the new law clearly aims to reduce this number by ensuring drivers are properly trained.
Traffic crashes are also the leading cause of death for teens in the United States according to the Department of Transportation.
Bridgestone’s program aims to combat this statistic, with Akron being the third city to host it in 2025 behind Nashville and Houston.
The program was launched in 2023 and has trained more than 30,000 teens across America in its 20-plus years.
NEW DRIVERS NEED EXPERIENCE
In July, Florida passed a law which required 15 to 17-year-olds looking to get a driver’s license to complete a driver’s education course before even getting their learner’s permit.
After doing so, the law then requires the completion of a 50-hour course, as well as the completion of adherence to several other courses and regulations, before being able to drive freely.
An Arizona teen was forced to retake her road test after passing due to the examiner’s suspicion that she was too reliant on her car’s technology.
