MEDINA, Ohio — The Ohio State Highway Patrol said troopers will be out in force from the day before Thanksgiving to the Sunday after the holiday. It is among the busiest time of year on the roads and the deadliest.
According to OHP statistics, last year, during the same time period, 13 people were killed in car crashes. This year, troopers will again be looking for drivers not wearing seat belts, as well as impaired and distracted drivers.
In Medina County, a unique program through the Medina County Sheriff’s Office is geared toward putting teenagers in real-life driving situations and teaching them to be defensive drivers.
The Take Control Teen Driving Program helps teen drivers get experience behind the wheel that will be needed in difficult driving situations. The class teaches teens defensive driving tactics. Dawn Conwill’s daughter, Ashley, recently completed the class.
“I worry about everybody else not paying attention, being on their phone, texting, messing with the radio, whatever their doing. Just to have this extra additional training for her, as a parent, it’s nice to have,” said Dawn Conwill.
New drivers learn the rules of the road, but during the class, they are put in real situations with police officers along for the ride, which teaches them the skills needed to maneuver tricky driving situations.
“I teach emergency pursuit and emergency response driving to police officers which is high speed driving. A lot of the same skills that we use to teach officers to drive safely at high speeds can be used at regular speeds,” said Lt. Scott Schmoll, Medina County Sheriff’s Office.
Medina County Sheriff’s Deputies and law enforcement officers from other agencies give kids lessons behind the wheel that could save their lives by learning how to avoid an accident with emergency braking, skid recovery and avoiding a collision.
“The one that’s usually a fan favorite is our drift life. We have a drift lift system that we put on the outside of the car and at slow speeds usually around 10 to 12 miles per hour we can simulate a skid if someone is driving on snow, ice or heavy rain the back end will go out on them and we teach them how to avoid losing control,” said Schmoll.
“I actually learned how to get out of a spin, and it was fun doing it,” said Ashley Conwill, teen driver.
Since the program started, more than 1,500 teenagers have completed the course. “We took this course because our parents recommended it to us. It was great,” said Brooklyn Newman.
“Two months ago, I got into an accident with my friends, it scared me. So, I wanted to take the course to better my driving,” said Marcus Kane, a teen driver.
The course is three hours and takes place one Saturday a month. The class is open to licensed drivers between the ages of 16 and 19.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the program was started with the help of three local families who lost teenagers in fatal car accidents due to inexperience. The program has continued to grow in attendance and popularity. While focusing on Medina County teens, the program is open to any teen driver who wants to learn how to be a safer and better driver. Click here to learn more.
In 2019, through a collaborative effort between Medina County Law Enforcement, the Medina County Career Center, Ehrbar Angels Foundation, Jessica Lynn Schaffer Memorial Fund, M-Star Foundation, Westfield Insurance, Judge Dunn of the Medina County Juvenile Court, and the State of Ohio’s Department of Public Safety, a newly constructed driving pad was erected at the Medina County Career Center.
The driving pad is a 2.5-acre cement lot, which is the first of its kind in the State of Ohio that focuses on free, hands-on, advanced teen driving education, according to the Medina County Sheriff’s Office.
