Ohio · Handbook chapter 2 · 4 min read

Ohio vehicle equipment rules, tire tread and pressure, studded tire dates, when to use headlights and turn signals, seat and mirror set-up, air bags and safety belts.

Why this chapter matters

The test can ask what equipment Ohio requires on a car and how far away lights and horns must be seen or heard. These are pure numbers, so they are easy marks if you learn them: 1/16 inch, 300, 500, 50 and 200 feet, 100 feet, 10 inches.

A safe vehicle

Ohio law forbids driving any vehicle in a condition so unsafe that it endangers anyone, or with protruding objects or sharp broken parts that could hurt someone. A typical car should have:

Window tint: the windshield must let through 70 percent of light, and the front side windows 50 percent (plus or minus 3 percent).

Tires

• Keep tires at the maker's recommended pressure (in PSI), which is shown on the door jamb. Check when tires are at air temperature, not after a long drive.
• The penny test: put a penny head-first into the deepest groove. If you can see all of Lincoln's head, the tread is too worn; replace the tire.
• Studded tires are legal in Ohio from November 1 through April 15.

Lights and signals

• Headlights must be on from sunset to sunrise, whenever visibility is poor (rain, snow, fog), and whenever your wipers are on because of rain or snow.
• High beams are allowed whenever your headlights are on, except when a vehicle is coming toward you.
• Turn signals go on at least 100 feet before you turn, change lanes or change direction.
• Hazard lights make a car stopped on or near the road easier to see.

Seat and mirrors

• Sit upright, back against the seat. Your heel stays on the floor while your foot pivots between pedals.
• The top of the steering wheel should be no higher than your shoulders.
• Keep at least 10 inches between your chest and the steering wheel for the air bag.
• The head restraint should touch the back of your head, not sit below your ears, to protect against whiplash.
• The inside mirror frames the rear window and is your main rear view.
• Left mirror: rest your head on the driver's window and adjust until the side of the car is barely visible. Right mirror: lean over the center console and do the same. This adds roughly 12 to 16 degrees of view on each side and shrinks blind spots.

Air bags and safety belts

• Air bags are supplemental: they work best together with safety belts, so wear the belt even if the car has air bags.
• Ohio requires drivers and front-seat occupants to wear safety belts. Drivers under 18 must have every occupant belted and may carry no more people than there are belts.
• Wear the belt across bony parts of the body. The shoulder belt crosses the shoulder and chest, never under your arm or behind your back. The lap belt sits snug and low across the hips.