Could an app replace Driver's Ed?

That's a question Grange Insurance of Columbus is hoping to answer, by developing an app to let parents take on that teaching role.

Little information is known about the program's specifications, other than that the app instruction would replace the state requirement of eight hours of behind-the-wheel training with a certified instructor.

Instead, an eligible adult would accompany the student driver for those eight hours, with app instruction.

In response, Ohio lawmakers introduced House Bill 425 and Senate Bill 218 to allow driver's ed training through apps approved by the Ohio Director of Public Safety. The bills are currently being evaluated by committees, and have yet to be called to a vote.

The idea behind app-based instruction, however, is now under scrutiny.

The owner of All-Star Driving School, Greg Anderson, tells 21 News he feels that app-based learning guided by a parent or 'eligible adult' will not be as effective as receiving feedback from a certified instructor.

"We have parents that'll come and tell us that their kid knows how to drive, and we get them, and they're not reading the signs," Anderson said.  "They're going around the bends a little too fast, they're going around the bends a little too slow. I had a young lady that was driving and her grandmother taught her how to drive with two feet."

Anderson added, technical and safety errors can't be fixed by an online program, but can be corrected and practiced with an educator. "Just one app is not going to replace driver's ed."

Additionally, Anderson feels that requiring parents to be responsible for eight hours of app-guided learning behind the wheel on top of the prerequisite 50-hours of practice may actually result in some students driving for less time overall.

That's because parents who already feel overwhelmed by the practice time requirement will often sign off on hours that have not been completed by the student driver.

"I promise you, not many kids are coming here with 50 hours," he tells 21 News. "There's no way to prove it."

21 News reached out to state lawmakers for their initial reaction to a potential app-based learning opportunity.

In a statement, Ohio Rep. Lauren McNally said: "The app presumably being used in this bill isn't even finished. We don't have testing or costs associated with it. It's absurd to me that we would move forward with a bill dealing with technology that hasn't even been put out yet. It's a hypothetical bill which is an extremely dangerous way to legislate, especially when the legislation affects kids."

Ohio Rep. Nick Santucci also released a statement focused on a broader concept of the legislation, not exclusive to the Grange Insurance app's development. 

"This bill has just been assigned to committee, but has a long way to go before it gets brought to a floor vote.

I absolutely think we should embrace any opportunity to better utilize technology and help make government work better for our citizens. Over the last few years, we've seen virtual reality being used more and more in career technical centers and other educational institutions.

Using technology to support our young people and help them be better prepared for life is a good thing. Tools like these proposed driver education apps are a great option we could offer parents to help student drivers learn the rules of the road in a more comfortable environment."