About four years ago an out-of-state online driver education company approached Ohio wanting to bring their “Online Driver Education” into Ohio. Those in the business of setting quality training standards for Ohio teens were in agreement that it is was a bad idea to allow teenagers to sit at home and take a driver education course, especially since traffic crashes are the No. 1 cause of teen deaths. The online company was denied. However, a few months later, a bill was introduced by a state representative to pass a law to allow online driver education in Ohio. This left many scratching their heads and wondering what changed from being a bad idea to a bill being introduced. One suggested answer was, as with many laws, special interest groups donate money towards campaign contributions in order to get laws passed. Unfortunately, these laws aren’t passed for “the good of the people” but mostly for the monetary gain of the interest group. At a meeting in Columbus put on by the Dept. of Public Safety, the question was posed, “Other than convenience for a teen to sit at home, what other benefits does the online program provide compared to the classroom training?” None were given. As a 27-year veteran with the Ohio State Patrol, this is the most nonsensical law I have ever seen passed.
No comments:
Post a Comment