Is 16 years old too young to drive? Ohio lawmakers consider upping age for a license

COLUMBUS – How young is too young for a driver's license? Ohio lawmakers think teens need another year of practice before getting a license at age 16 and a half.

Under a new, bipartisan proposal, young drivers would need to wait one year after obtaining their temporary learner's permit before testing for a license. They could still get a permit at age 15 and a half.

Increasing the training period to one year would make Ohio one of the most restrictive states in the nation on teen licensing. Just 12 states require teens wait until after their 16th birthday to obtain a driver's license, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The proposed changes concern Kristin Farrell, of Madeira. Her 16-year-old daughter recently passed her driving test. Farrell said she still sets restrictions for her daughter, such as no driving on the highway, but the teen can now drive herself to lacrosse practice.

That new license brings independence and responsibility, Farrell said. "There’s nothing like getting in your car by yourself and having to make decisions about where to turn and what to do."

Parents – not the state – should set guidelines for their teenagers, because not all 16 year olds have the same driving skills, Farrell said.

Ohio lawmakers also want to expand the hours when teenagers cannot drive without adult supervision to 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Under current law, supervision is needed between midnight and 6 a.m. (There are some exceptions for school events and work.)

Those extra two hours makes a difference, Ohio AAA spokeswoman Cheryl Parker said. About 42 percent of teens' nighttime crashes occurred between 10 p.m. and midnight, according to Ohio AAA's analysis of crashes between 2012 and 2016. Only 20 percent of crashes happened between midnight and 6 a.m.

One of the bill's sponsors, Rep. Gary Scherer, R-Circleville, said he has personal experience with the dangers of teen drivers. His daughter, now in her 30s, had a very serious crash when she was 16 years old. With more experience behind the wheel, she might have avoided the accident and saved her father from a terrifying day.

"This can save lives," Scherer said.

Scherer said he understands that extra practice time could be inconvenient for parents and their children, but those six months will make Ohio's roads safer.

Emily Frantz, a junior at Northmont High School in Montgomery County, said she supports the full year of supervised driving. Frantz worries that her 13-year-old sister would get her permit in March and license in September without ever practicing on Ohio's snowy roads.

"As her older sister, the one who is supposed to look out for her, there is no way I would feel comfortable watching her pull out on icy roads, alone, with no experience," Frantz told lawmakers.

Why introduce these changes now? Driving has never been more dangerous between people texting while driving or shooting up heroin behind the wheel, Parker said.

And teen drivers are already delaying getting their license. In 2006, 69,300 drivers were 16 years old. By 2016, that number had dropped to 63,800, according to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Some teenagers don't have enough money to purchase a vehicle. Others share rides to school. And technology means friends don't need to be in the same place to connect, Parker said.

The proposed changes would not alter how many passengers can be in a teenager's vehicle. Current law allows 16-year-olds to drive one passenger who is not a relative.

Scherer said he expects the bill will receive a vote in the Ohio House before summer break. The proposal then would need approval from the Ohio Senate and Gov. John Kasich.