Jason Weitzman, driving his 2018 BMW M2, is coached by Tom Manger at Palm Beach International Raceway west of Jupiter during a High Performance Driver Education course June 12 held by Florida Bimmers Driving Group and Pole Position Track Experience.
Practice doesn't always make perfect, but when it comes to motor vehicle safety, we are betting it can make Ohio's roads safer.
It doesn't make sense to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine that the state requires training for driver's license seekers younger than 18 and nothing for those older than that magic number.
On the face of it, we agree and think lawmakers should at the very least explore the governor's request for an adult driving training requirement in Ohio.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, only 8% of licensed drivers involved in fatal crashes nationwide are between 15 and 18 years old -- the target ages for most driving course requirements around the nation.
One doesn't all of a sudden become a great driver when they wake up on their 18th birthday.
"Whatever age you are, if you're getting your license for the first time, you need to take driver's training," DeWine said.
The governor's comments were part of a press conference in which he announced that driving simulators will be available in Springfield, a community that has experienced an increase in traffic accidents caused by some in the rapidly growing Haitian immigrant community.
There is room for improvement in Ohio
Ohioans are not the nation's worst drivers, but we definitely aren't the best.
Statistics prove Haitians are far from the only drivers who might benefit from training behind the wheel.
According to the National Safety Council, at 6.9 per 100,000 people, Massachusetts had the lowest motor vehicle death rates in 2022. Mississippi had the highest with 26 per 100,000 population.
Ohio rate per 100,000 population was 11.9 deaths. Nationally, there were 13.8 motor vehicle deaths per 100,000 people.
Franklin County leads the state with the most fatal car crashes -- at 572 deaths -- between 2019 and 2023, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol's Crash Dashboard,
The counties that followed it were Cuyahoga with 487 fatalities, Hamilton with 318, Montgomery with 286 and Lucas with 224.
Those five counties -- home to Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo accordingly -- accounted for nearly 33% of the state's 5,769 fatal crashes between 2019 and 2023.
Through Wednesday, 226,947 total crashes have been recorded in Ohio this year. Just under 1,000 of those were fatal.
Driver's education comes with a cost
It is not clear how an adult driver's ed requirement would work but chances are it won't come cheap.
If lawmakers do pursue DeWine's suggestions, we hope that they do it in a cost-effective manner. The last thing needed is more burden on Ohioans already attempting to make ends meet.
The current course for teens comes with a high price.
Ohio law currently only requires those younger than 18 to complete a driver education class at a licensed driver training school. The training includes 24 hours of classroom or online instruction and eight hours of driving time.
A phone survey of central Ohio driving schools show prices ranging from $400 to $500 for teen driving courses.
Do other states require adults to take driver's training?
Few states require driver's training for adults. And as with teen driver's requirements, the rules vary wildly for those that mandate adult training.
It is worth exploring if one of those models, a mix of them or something else entirely- would benefit Ohio.
We urge state lawmakers to take DeWine's recommendation seriously.
Doing so may make our roads that much safer and potentially save lives.
This editorial was written by Dispatch Opinion and Community Engagement Editor Amelia Robinson on behalf of the editorial board of The Columbus Dispatch. Editorials are fact-based assessments of issues of importance to the communities we serve. These are not the opinions of our reporting staff members, who strive for neutrality in their reporting.