Ohio’s New Under-21 Driver’s Ed Law Is Unfair — It Puts Good Drivers at Risk, Not Reckless Ones. Repeal It Now.

I’m a 20-year-old Ohioan working hard, engaged to be married, and trying to build a future. But I, along with every other responsible young adult under 21, am now being punished simply because of my age.

Governor Mike DeWine made a serious mistake when he signed this law into effect. It forces anyone under 21 to complete a full driver’s education course before getting a license — regardless of whether they’ve proven themselves responsible, mature, and capable. This law isn’t about improving safety — it’s about control, stereotypes, and political optics.

Let’s be clear:
This law doesn’t stop reckless drivers — they won’t follow it anyway.
It targets law-abiding, hardworking, and mature young adults who are already doing everything right.

And worse — it could actually make things more dangerous:

Delaying licenses until 21 will cause a surge of inexperienced drivers all hitting the roads at once.
That means more crashes, more injuries, and more shattered futures — including for people like me, who are simply trying to live a good, safe life.
Not all young drivers are reckless.
Not all older drivers are responsible.
And you can’t fix road safety by punishing the people who follow the rules.

This is a message to Governor DeWine and the Ohio Legislature:
You got this one wrong. And we’re calling on you to repeal this law now.

Replace it with smarter, fairer reforms that target actual risky behavior — not birthdates. Reward responsibility instead of penalizing it.

Don’t punish responsible young adults just for being young. We deserve the freedom to live, work, drive, and build our future — without being stereotyped and sidelined by politics.