texting and driving
Ohio’s new texting-and-driving law takes effect, with a 6-month warning period
Beginning today (April 4) it’s a primary offense to use your phone while driving. That means law enforcement can pull drivers over for using their phone without any other pretext. The measure carries several exceptions, including allowances for hands-free operation, but Ohio Department of Transportation guidance warns, “in most cases, anything more than a single […]
Texting and driving measure heads for Ohio House floor
A little more than a year and a half after its introduction, an Ohio House measure allowing police to pull over drivers using their phones has moved out of committee. Under current law texting and driving is a secondary offense, meaning police can cite a driver for it, but it can’t be the reason they […]
Bicycle advocates, survivor speaks for advancement of distracted driving bill
A bill to enhance consequences for distracted driving is moving along in a House committee, this time with an amendment exempting medical devices. The bill’s main onus is to increase penalties for texting and driving in the state, and harmonize all municipal ordinances and individual rules about distracted driving into one main state law. In […]
Distracted Driving the focus for highway patrol as holiday travel increases
Ohio’s governor says he is directing the highway patrol to focus on distracted drivers this holiday season. Gov. Mike DeWine cited highway patrol numbers that showed an increase in traffic fatalities in five of the last six years. Distracted driving, he said in a release, is a “major contributing factor” in those fatalities. “As we […]