CLEVELAND — Teenagers getting their driver’s license is a milestone many look forward to, but the shutdowns in early March stopped all soon-to-be drivers in Ohio at a red light, and they’re just now finally getting the green light again.
From the seat of a desk in the driver’s ed room classroom to the seats in a car—that’s where students like Heights Driving School student Mackenzie Johnson are eager to be.
“I got my temps June 30, which is my exact half-birthday because I’m thirsty to get my license and right after I got them, I went and paid for driving school and here I am,” said Johnson, a sophomore at Cleveland Heights High School.
Johnson is one of many students working to get her driver’s license, but the pandemic has put that goal on hold.
She only has two more classes left out of eight, but will still need to complete her “in-car lessons” and that’s where the yellow light comes in.
“The whole thing is backed up so they said even if you schedule now, it’s going to be until about Nov. 10 to actually get in a car,” said Johnson.
Daniel Cox understands the pressure to get new drivers behind the wheel more than most. He’s the CEO of Heights Driving School, which serves the Greater Cleveland area. He said with the two-month closure of driving schools at the height of the pandemic and the adjustment period of adapting to social distancing guidelines, they’re still playing catch up.
“So we have a two month back up and then what happens is right when spring hits so April, May is the busiest time for driving schools so all of them got hammered and backed up,” said Cox.
Cox said his driving school is still backlogged a few weeks and you won’t find anything quicker in the state.
“I know the frustration through the whole industry and its statewide. I’m the president of the driving school association in Ohio so I hear from Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, Cleveland west or east it doesn’t matter where you go, they’re all having the same issue, that they’re just swamped,” said Cox.
But just like how he wants people to have patience on the road, he wants people to have patience on this… and Johnson has good spirits about it.
“I do have patience because there’s nothing we can really do about it so I don’t really see a point in being upset because what is that going to change,” said Johnson.
