COLUMBUS, Ohio — April is “distracted driving awareness month”, and the Ohio Highway Patrol wants to emphasize the importance of driving responsibly. “Keep your eyes and your focus on the road,” said a spokesperson for the patrol.
Since 2016, the patrol has investigated nearly 74,000 crashes involving distracted drivers, with over 2,000 being fatal.
So what is distracted driving?
Authorities say, “distracted driving is engaging in any activity that is not necessary to the operation of a vehicle and impairs, or reasonably would be expected to impair, the ability of the operator to drive the vehicle safely.”
In Ohio, the punishment for distracted driving is either a $100 fine or being required to take a distracted-driving safety course.
Two Republican representatives introduced a bill in the state legislature last year in hopes of cracking down on distracted driving. Representatives Cindy Abrams and Brian Lampton introduced House Bill 283. The bill would prohibit the use of cell phones while driving. HB 283 goes beyond the current law, which bans texting while driving.
Ohio’s Office of Research and Drafting says, “The bill expands current law and prohibits a person from using, holding, or physically supporting with any part of the person’s body any EWCD (not just handheld) while operating a motor vehicle on any street, highway, or public property. Thus, rather than a prohibition against only texting, the bill creates a general hands-free law.”
The bill has been stalled in committee meetings since last year.
