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Ohio Traffic Safety Office Announces Free Advanced Driver Training Summer Series for Teen Drivers
COLUMBUS — Free hands-on training is available this summer for teen drivers in Ohio to practice crash avoidance techniques and gain the experience necessary to become safer drivers. The Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) is partnering with three Advanced Driver Training programs to increase access to these specially designed classes that address the leading causes of teen crashes. Newly licensed drivers or teens with a valid temporary permit are welcome to participate in one of these free sessions.
This announcement comes during National Youth Traffic Safety Month, which coincides with the beginning of the “100 deadliest days” – the time period between Memorial Day and Labor Day that historically accounts for more than a third of all fatal crashes.
- In 2023, there were 102 fatal youth-related crashes in Ohio during the “100 deadliest days” – about one fatality each day.
- Young drivers in Ohio under the age of 24 are involved in 31% of all crashes, but only make up about 13% of licensed drivers.
Advanced Driver Training programs allow students to practice skid recovery, anti-lock braking system (ABS) exercises and other skills with a licensed instructor on a closed course. OTSO recently produced a video and launched a new web page dedicated to Advanced Driver Training to better inform parents about these programs.
Ohio-based Advanced Driver Training providers DriveTeam and Professional Driving Systems will conduct six of the summer sessions. OTSO is partnering with the Ford Philanthropy’s award-winning Ford Driving Skills for Life for the other two sessions.
The Advanced Driver Training summer series begins in June at Nelsonville York High School in Athens County with Professional Driving Systems hosting two sessions per day. Seven more events will be held across the state through the end of September:
| DATE | LOCATION |
| June 8-9 | Nelsonville York High School Athens County |
| June 19-20 | Canfield Fairgrounds Mahoning County |
| July 6-7 | Professional Driving Systems Montgomery County |
| July 17-18 | Zanesville High School Muskingum County |
| August 3-4 | IX Center – Cleveland Cuyahoga County |
| August 7-8 | Lima Senior High School Allen County |
| September 21-22 | Owens Community College Wood County |
| September 28-29 | Manheim Cincinnati Butler County |
Parents can register their teens for a session at one of these events by following the link on the calendar on OTSO’s Advanced Driver Training resource web page.
As a division within the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) is dedicated to saving lives and preventing injuries on Ohio’s roads by using creative leadership, innovative education and comprehensive enforcement programs. OTSO strives to work in partnership with local, state and federal entities to advance equity in highway safety programs, ensuring they benefit all road users in Ohio. For FFY2024, OTSO awarded over $23 million in federal funds to 135 Ohio agencies for statewide programming to improve traffic safety and reduce traffic-related fatalities.
