Expanded driver’s education materials helping non-English speakers get licensed

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio ( WDTN ) — On Tuesday, Springfield residents gathered for the Ohio Traffic Safety Office’s “Train the Trainer” seminar.

This initiative aims to help non-English speaking communities obtain their driver’s licenses. The Ohio Traffic Safety Office launched its driving safety program for immigrants in July. Today’s class is the third of its train-the-trainer education courses.

These classes are designed to equip trainers with skills to teach basic driving and traffic safety to non-English speakers in the community.

“This is very important to us, as a matter of fact. This is for us,” said Jacob Payen, spokesperson for the Haitian Community Alliance.

Payen says this program will help Haitian immigrants become better drivers in Springfield.

“Some of them have been driving back home, but not with the same traffic rules and they need more guidance because they may read something in English and not understanding what they just read,” said Payen.

It took over six months to develop the user-friendly driving curriculum which is used in the training. The free curriculum explains the requirements for obtaining a driver’s license as well as teaching traffic and safety laws in Ohio.

“The trainings are conducted in English, so there are geared towards people who speak both languages, who speak English and can take this back and translate it and provide it in their communities,” said Emily Davidson, Ohio Traffic Safety Office director.

Elena Rosato who recruits international staff says this is exactly the resource they need to help make their international hires feel more independent.

“We’re a nation made of immigrants, Right? So we are consistently going to have new people coming in and in order to make us safe and those people safe, I think it’s important to have a community mindset and really embrace our differences, but also be more welcoming,” said Rosato.

Rachel O’Neal said she’ll be using what she learned in the class to train international nurses. She says even she feels more educated as a driver.

“Oh, yes, definitely. The blind spots. And then I think even though we know subconsciously about the yellow lines and what they all mean, I don’t know if that’s something that I really could have like verbalized before this,” said O’Neal.

The Ohio Traffic Safety Office will hold its next set of classes in northwest Ohio, after receiving multiple requests from non-English communities in that area.

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