Ohio law agencies say new texting ban is necessary, hard to enforce
Ohio law enforcement agencies are currently attempting to develop a plan of action to effectively enforce the state’s soon to be signed into law ban on engaging in text messaging while driving a motor vehicle. Though authorities seem to agree that the distracted driving bill is overdue, they express concerns regarding their ability to prevent motorists from texting while behind the wheel. A recent fatal accident resulting in the death of two Ohio teens that may have been caused by cellphone related distracted driving has brought more attention to the issues. The driver of the car in this single vehicle crash sent a text message close to the time of impact according to the driver’s phone records. Ohio will soon become the 38th state in the nation to ban drivers from engaging in text based messaging while behind the wheel of an automobile. Under the proposed legislation, drivers of every age will be prohibited from texting while operating a vehicle, but teenagers cited for the practice will be penalized more heavily. For drivers under the age of 18, texting while driving would be considered a primary offense, meaning law enforcement officers would be authorized to pull the offending teenagers over for texting without their breaking any other traffic laws. Older drivers must be violating another law before officers are authorized to pull them over. Minors fined for engaging in text messaging behind the wheel would be required to pay $150 for a first offense and $300 for each subsequent citation.
