(SYCAMORE TOWNSHIP, Ohio) – Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today attended an event in Sycamore Township (Hamilton County) announcing that the Driving Angels program, which has been offered in Western Hamilton County since 2009, will now be offered in Eastern Hamilton County as well.
“Traffic crashes are the number one cause of teen fatalities, “ Attorney General DeWine said. “I am always interested in ways we can teach our young people to be safer on the road when they get behind the wheel. The Driving Angels program is a unique tool that will hopefully save lives in Ohio.”
Attorney General DeWine supports the expansion of the Driving Angels program, which aims to change the habits of juvenile driving offenders and save lives. The program offers Hamilton County teens who break minor traffic laws, the chance to learn from their mistakes on the road instead of receiving a ticket.
Driving Angels is a three-hour Saturday class that more than 300 teen drivers have completed since 2009. The program is unique because teen instructors teach their peers and present materials, along with emergency responders, local police, and other safety professionals. The Driving Angels program can be an alternative to getting a ticket when juvenile traffic offenders are caught speeding, rolling through a stop sign, or committing other minor traffic violations. The program is not designed for juvenile traffic offenders who face more serious issues like a car wreck, drag racing, or driving while drunk.
“Throughout my career, I have been a champion of programs and laws that save lives on the roads, “Attorney General DeWine said. “In the U.S. Senate, I pushed for and passed many laws aimed at protecting Ohio families and all families.”
DeWine's legislative changes include:
- Mandatory safety data from government crash tests displayed on all new cars.
- Improved youth driver education and licensing laws.
- Mandatory national child safety-specific testing and data collection.
- Mandatory child-safe power window switches in all cars sold in the U.S.
- Mandatory disclosure of the most dangerous roads and intersections in each state. Improved school bus safety.
- Tougher drunk driving laws, including a national .08 Blood Alcohol Content standard.
In the fall of 2009, students from Northwest High School developed the Driving Angels program, in partnership with the Colerain Township Police Department, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, University Hospital, and Rumpke Corporation.
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