Page 35 - AAA Magazine – AAA Ohio Auto Club – May 2019

H.B. 293, introduced in June 2017, proposed to do this during Ohio’s 132rd General Assembly. The bill found favor in the Ohio House Transportation and Public Safety Committee but didn’t make it through the legislature and died at the end of the session on Dec. 31, 2018. Two months later, at the start of the 133rd General Assembly, Representatives Gary Scherer (R-Circleville) and Michael Sheehy (D-Toledo) introduced H.B. 106 with the same provisions.
Bloom, McClelland and the Schlotterbecks are all strong supporters of the coalition’s efforts and H.B. 106.
“To me, it’s a no-brainer,” said Bloom.
“I think that both the parents and the kids think, well, if the rule is six months that obviously must be enough, but that’s not what statistics show,” said McClelland. “It’s the No. 1 cause of death, so right there that should tell you that six months isn’t enough. It’s not working. Something has to be done. They need more time.”
“The true benefit in having a year-long learner’s permit is that the parents get another six months of driving with their kid and trying to instill some experience,” said Troy Schlotterbeck. “There’s pretty much black and white evidence to support kids having their permit much longer.”
Studies have shown longer permit phases are associated with substantial reductions in fatal crashes involving 16- to 17-year-old drivers. Nighttime driving also is especially dangerous for newly licensed
teen drivers, which is why the Ohio GDL Coalition recommends supervised driving after 10 p.m. for the first six months of licensure, with exemptions for work, school and religious functions.
“Driving in the dark is just more difficult,” said McClelland. “I’ve had my license for a very long time and I don’t like driving in the dark, when it’s raining especially. It’s hard to drive in the dark in the rain and you need that experience.”
For McClelland and the Schlotterbecks, it’s all about raising awareness and doing what they can to protect other teens, including their younger children, Reese and Gage – both 15 and currently going through Ohio’s licensing system.
photo: Shutterstock/ Daisy Daisy
“The true benefit in having a year-long
learner’s permit is that the parents get another six months of driving with their kid and trying to instill some experience.”
“I can’t just sit here, because I have another son who is going to be driving soon and I want him to be safe,” said Stacy Schlotterbeck. “The reality is it’s not just him driving; it’s his friends driving and kids that he’s getting in the car with and other kids that are on the road.”
In an effort to make the roads safer for all drivers, McClelland and the Schlotterbecks have joined the Ohio GDL Coalition’s efforts. They also are active members of Delaware County’s SAFE Teen Driver Parent Task Force, which is working to disseminate teen driving data and resources to Delaware County families.
“This is a lifelong sentence of loss and sorrow and grief and if we can do anything to make sure nobody else loses their child this way, even if it saves anybody, then it’s worth it,” said McClelland.
“There’s nothing more important in our lives than our children,” said Troy Schlotterbeck. “Every single parent would tell you in any situation that they would do anything possible for them. No matter what.”
Kimberly Scwind is Senior Public Relations Manager for AAA Ohio.
GET INVOLVED
To get involved in the Ohio GDL Coalition, contact Kimberly Schwind at kschwind@aaaohio.com.
House Bill 106 would give teens the experience they need to be safe drivers.
Visit AAA.com/HB106 to contact your local Representative and voice your support for this life-saving legislation.
For updates visit AAA.com/GDL.
MAY 2019 | 33