Beginning September 30, Ohio will require 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds to complete the same intensive driver’s education program as younger teenagers. It’s a shift championed by Governor Mike DeWine as a “matter of public safety.”

Until now, these adults could skip formal training if they passed a road test

If the drivers failed, the fallback was a four-hour class plus abbreviated behind-the-wheel practice.

That loophole is closing.

Going forward, anyone under 21 must log 24 hours of classroom or online instruction. They also must practice driving for eight hours with a certified instructor. On top of that, there’s 50 supervised hours with another adult. 10 of those hours must happen at night.

All of that must get checked off before taking the state exam.

Ohio Governor DeWine explained that the numbers drove his push

Last year, 58% of deadly crashes involving teen drivers were caused by 18- and 19-year-olds.

He said young adults deserve the same preparation as younger teens. DeWine argued that age alone does not make someone less likely to make fatal mistakes behind the wheel.

But critics say the fix could create new problems

Driving schools often charge $400 or more for the full course, and availability can be slim in rural counties.

Cleveland.com shared the thoughts of local podcast host Leila Atassi. She suggests the mandate might lean on statistics without proving the coursework itself prevents wrecks.

Atassi warned that some young people (priced out of lessons) may simply drive without licenses, creating the very risk the state wants to reduce.

The state has pointed to possible grants or scholarships, but skeptics doubt there will be enough funding to cover the surge of students who now must enroll

Families who deliberately waited until adulthood to sidestep driver’s ed costs will no longer have that option.

For them, the choice is either shelling out hundreds of dollars or delaying mobility in a state where a car is often essential for work and school.

Other voices in the debate see value in the expanded requirement

Some say that relying on parents alone to teach driving can entrench bad habits. Instead, structured classroom hours reinforce safe practices like managing distractions or understanding new vehicle technologies.

The change also brushes up against the broader question of access: Ohio lawmakers rejected a budget proposal to bring driver’s ed back into schools.

As September 30 approaches, thousands of 18-to-20-year-olds face a steeper climb to independence. Whether this law creates safer roads or just higher hurdles will become clear only once these new drivers log the miles under Ohio’s stricter rules.