(The Center Square) – The state of Ohio plans to use donated driving simulators to teach people living in or entering the country illegally in Springfield safe driving skills in hopes of easing ongoing traffic issues throughout the community.
Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday the Maria Tiberi Foundation and Virtual Driver Interactive donated 10 new simulators to the Ohio Department of Transportation for use in Springfield and Clark County. They’ve been put in places that serve the Haitian community, which has recently come to the area with little or no driver training.
“One of the big issues we’ve seen with migrants in Clark County is that they are not used to driving here,” said Governor DeWine. “With the generous donations from the Maria Tiberi Foundation and Virtual Driver Interactive, this new program will help the Haitian population learn the rules of the road and allow them to practice defensive driving skills that can keep everyone on the roads safe.”
It’s part of an ongoing state effort to deal with a growing legal Haitian refugee population, which has grown since 2020 to around 15,000 in the city of nearly 60,000 under the Temporary Protected Status program.
The Temporary Protected Status program gives migrants whose home countries are considered unsafe to live and work in the U.S.
The issue entered the national spotlight during the presidential campaign in the fall when Donald Trump and J.D. Vance falsely claimed refugees were eating the pets of U.S. citizens. Those and some other allegations were debunked.
The simulators give drivers the chance to experience dangerous driving scenarios in a safe environment to practice driving skills.
Training scenarios include driving in severe weather, hydroplaning and skidding, overcorrection, distracted driving, variable traffic density, parallel parking and backing up, dangers of speeding and the importance of seat belts.
DeWine also said the opening of a mobile health clinic in September and added nursing staff from the Ohio Department of Health has largely eliminated backlogs for health care appointments.
Also, $1.3 million in taxpayer grants have led Springfield City Schools to hire seven interpreters, acquire more than 460 translation technology devices for non-English-speaking families and encourage greater parent involvement. The district is also now providing comprehensive mental health services for all students.
