Last month at DriversEd.com, we broke the exciting news about the release of our new online Ohio drivers education course. But since then, there’s been a bit of confusion and misguided doubt about what exactly that means for students and Ohio driving schools.

Simply put, we created an online course to expand access to drivers education in Ohio. This means more teens in Ohio taking drivers education and becoming safer, licensed drivers.

Want to know more? Here’s a rundown of the situation.

Q: What’s the difference between drivers education and in-car training?

A: Drivers education is a course that teaches you the rules of the road, vehicle safety, and everything else you need to know to pass your written permit test and be ready to start your in-car training.

In-car training is the behind-the-wheel driving lessons you take with a licensed driving instructor.

Anyone under 18 who wants to earn an Ohio drivers license has to complete the following requirements:

• 24 hours of drivers education
• 8 hours of in-car training with a driving professional instructor
• 50 hours of supervised driving (10 of those hours must be at night) with a parent or guardian

Traditionally, drivers education and in-car training were all done at a single school: a high school or a private driving school. But recent changes have expanded options for Ohio teens, making drivers education much more accessible.

Q: What are my options for drivers education?

A: Ohio lawmakers passed a bill last year that allows teens to complete their drivers education entirely online. So now you can choose to meet your drivers education requirement by taking a traditional classroom course or a new online Ohio drivers education course!

DriversEd.com is one of the three schools currently offering an online drivers education course approved by the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

With online Ohio drivers education , now you can move to the driving school of your choice for your required in-car driving lessons.

Q: If I take Ohio drivers education online, how do I take in-car lessons?

A: It’s simple: you can pick any local driving school for your in-car driving lessons!

Q: Can online drivers education really be as effective as a classroom course?

A: Yes! Several studies have shown that online drivers education courses are just as effective as classroom courses.

DriversEd.com’s online courses have even been proven to reduce DUIs and traffic violations in a 2011 study conducted by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Drivers education is strictly regulated in Ohio, and our course passed an extensive review process by the Ohio Department of Public Safety before it was approved. The content of our online Ohio drivers education course meets all the same requirements as classroom courses.

Q: What impact will online Ohio drivers education have on teen drivers?

A: Drivers education is required for anyone under 18 who wants to earn an Ohio drivers license.

In the past, teens who had trouble fitting a traditional classroom course into their busy schedules would just wait until they turned 18 to earn their license. That meant skipping drivers education and in-car training altogether.

With the flexible online option, teens with hectic schedules can take drivers education at their own pace on their own time. That means more students getting access to drivers education and training, and more prepared drivers hitting the road.

Q: How does online drivers education affect local driving schools? Will it really take away jobs?

A: Absolutely not. DriversEd.com doesn’t compete with local Ohio driving schools. In fact, we complement them.

Teens under 18 who complete our online Ohio drivers education course are still required to complete in-car training. All our students who are under 18 will also be taking in-car training at a local Ohio driving school.

Providing a flexible online option actually encourages more teens to take drivers education. That means more teens will be signing up for in-car lessons, creating more business and more jobs for local Ohio driving schools.