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As the new law hits, Ohio rolls out Roadready app to help teens learn safe driving habits

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Beginning Sept. 30, anyone under 21 who applies for an Ohio driver’s license will have to go through the same driver’s training required for 16- and 17-year-olds. But the state has a new app to help with that.

Gov. Mike DeWine announces the new Roadready Ohio app for smartphones at a podium
Gov. Mike DeWine announces the new Roadready Ohio app for smartphones. It uses telematics technology to help young drivers develop safe driving skills. [Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau]
New drivers under 21 will be required to log 50 hours of supervised driving and sign an affidavit swearing they did so before they can get a license. Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) said driver inexperience has been a problem in Ohio.

“According to the Ohio Department of Public Safety, there were 97 teen involved fatal crashes in 2024. 70% of those were the fault of the teen driver,” DeWine said.

DeWine said this free smartphone app will monitor practice drives let drivers and supervising parents know how the trip went.

“Roadready Ohio incorporates telematics technology that can actually score each practice drive and give immediate feedback at the end of each lesson in key areas such as braking, acceleration, turning and speed,” DeWine said. “By combining innovative technology with proven safety practices, this free, easy-to-use app turns a smartphone into a trusted partner for new drivers and their families.”

While the RoadReady Ohio app is available in some other states, Ohio is the first state to incorporate telematics features that analyze drivers’ actions and provide feedback and driving tips.

After a young driver completes all 50 mandated practice hours, the app can also sync with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles database to generate the required affidavit and driving log attesting that the practice took place.

New drivers don’t need to use the app. They can still log the miles the old-fashioned way — with a pen and paper.

DeWine had wanted to bring driver’s education classes back to high schools, as it was decades. But lawmakers took out his proposed funding for that. DeWine said the budget that he signed in July continues the grants that were made available in the previous budget to help low-income students get this training.