A trooper from the Ohio State Highway Patrol conducts a traffic stop.
Courtesy photo | Ohio State Highway Patrol
As the result of last year’s new distracted driving law in Ohio, local law enforcement issued more citations during the holiday season than years previous.
Last year, a new distracted driving law went into effect giving law enforcement probable cause to pull over drivers if they witness them illegally using electronic communication devices to input text, dial a number, or hold the device on any part of the person’s body while driving.
The law was enacted in April, but law enforcement was unable to issue citations until Oct. 5 when the grace period ended. The penalties for the violating the law include points assessed to a driver’s license and fines, which both increased based on number of offenses.
Lt. Robert Curry, the commander of the Delaware Post of the OSHP, reported Thursday that the Patrol did see a large increase in distracted driving violations during the Christmas and New Year time periods. He said that statewide, the Patrol report 3,991 distracted driving violations from Oct. 5 to Jan. 17, a 111% increase from 1,889 violations over the same period the year previous.
Locally, the number of violations rose from 52 for the period between Oct. 5, 2022 to Jan. 17, 2023 to 80 violations this past season.
Tracy Whited, director of public relations for the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, reported the office issued 11 citations for texting and driving under the new law this past season.
“Everyone knows texting while driving is a recipe for disaster,” Curry said in an email Thursday. “But other forms of distracted driving like changing the radio station, putting on makeup, or talking with a passenger can be just as dangerous. Every time someone takes their eyes or focus off the road — even for just a few seconds — they put their life and the lives of others in danger. Distracted driving is unsafe, and the consequences can be devastating. Help us drive to save lives, never drive distracted!”
Curry said the Patrol has a zero tolerance policy for violations of the distracted driving law.
“When troopers observe distracted driving violations they will take enforcement actions,” Curry said.
More information about the law, including what counts as a violation and allowed exceptions can be found at https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/phonesdown.
Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.
