A grace period enacted to help educate motorists on Ohio's new distracted driving law is now over.
This means any drivers caught using a phone while driving can be issued tickets by law enforcement.
Gov. Mike DeWine signed the law in January and it officially went into effect on April 4 — meaning since then, law enforcement could pull over drivers they see using their phones improperly while driving.
However, officers couldn't issue tickets until a six-month grace period passed following that April date.
As of Oct. 5, that's no longer the case.
Citations for violating the distracted driving law could run drivers up to $150 for their first offense — which also comes with two points on their driver's license.
From there, a second offense within two years of the first could result in a fine of up to $250, and three points added to the driver's license. Three offenses within two years will bring up to $500 in fines, four points added to the driver's license and a possible 90-day suspension of that license.
All of those fines can be doubled, like with any other traffic violation, if the violation happens within a construction zone.
What you can do:
- Use a phone when the vehicle is parked or stopped at a red light or road closure
- Make a single swipe on your screens to answer a call
- Hold a cell phone to your ear during phone calls
- Make an emergency call
- Use the GPS function or any navigation device, but it must be mounted on the dash or console and not handheld
Who won't be impacted:
- Utility workers operating utility vehicles are an exception
- Commercial truck drivers using a mobile terminal won't be cited
Police will not be able to search an electronic device for evidence of recent use without a warrant or the permission of the device's owner.
Law enforcement agencies will also be required to track and report racial data on traffic stops initiated for a distracted driving violation.
According to Kimberly Schwind, assistant director of the Ohio Traffic Safety Office, state officials have already tracked an impact since the law went into effect.
"In fact, since April when the law took effect, there's been an overall 7.5% reduction in distracted driving," said Schwind.
She said the state estimates that reduction represents 2,200 crashes and six fatalities that have been prevented as a result of the law.
“This bill is about a lot more than pulling people over and handing out tickets,” DeWine said at the bill signing in January. “It's about changing the culture around distracted driving, and normalizing the fact that distracted driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving.”
It's a sentiment echoed by ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks at a press conference held Thursday about the new law.
"Sadly, we have countless examples where people have not practiced common sense," said Marchbanks. "Already this year, our ODOT crews have been struck 45 times. That's workers, equipment and vehicles. Each of these crashes was likely preventable had the driver been paying attention, obeying the speed limit or not driving impaired or distracted."
According to DeWine's office, the Ohio State Highway Patrol has reported over 60,000 crashes statewide that were caused by distracted driving; Within those, 209 deaths were also reported.
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