Drivers, say TTYL to texting and driving.
On Friday, the warning period will begin for the new Ohio texting and driving ban, which was signed into law by Ohio Gov. John Kasich on June 1.
The law makes texting while driving illegal for all motorists. It will be considered a secondary offense, meaning a citation for texting will only be given when a moving violation has occurred.
“(The ban) will not substantially change much, as it’s impossible to target texting because it is not a primary offense,” Ohio University Chief of Police Andrew Powers said. “For example, not wearing your seat belt is not a primary offense, while speeding is. And texting works the same way. If we pull someone over for speeding, then we can charge them only if we notice they were texting or not wearing their seat belt before we stopped them.”
After the law’s six-month warning period, officers will have the ability to fine motorists over the age of 18 a maximum of $150 for texting while driving.
“My hope is people will adhere to the law; it is necessary, in my opinion,” Athens Chief of Police Tom Pyle said. “I ride motorcycles as a hobby, and about two years ago, I noticed that a lot more cars seem to drift into my lane. Most times … as the car would pass by, I would see the driver with a cell phone in their hands paying more attention to it than to driving. I fully support the ban, as I believe cellphone use while driving is very dangerous, not based on statistics, just my personal observation.”
In addition to texting, the law also prohibits anyone under 18 from using any electronic device while driving, even taking a call on a cellphone. Consequently, drivers under 18 can have their license suspended for 60 days for a first offense.
Currently, 39 states have laws that address text messaging by all drivers.
According to a news release from a division of Ohio AAA, studies have shown texting while driving takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds at a time.
In a recent survey, AAA East Central and the Foundation for Traffic Safety discovered that 35 percent of motorists of all ages admitted to texting while behind the wheel. Almost half of drivers ages 18-24 admitted to the same offense.
As a result, the company has become an avid supporter of the texting ban, hoping to bring to light the dangers of texting while driving.
“It’s going to be easier to enforce (the ban) for drivers under the age of 18, and with the adult drivers, it will be a littler bit trickier,” said Brain Newbacher, spokesman for AAA East Central. “The teen section of the new law is very strong, and eventually, we would like to see a primary enforcement ban for all drivers.”
lf328610@ohiou.edu
