PERRYSBURG, Ohio — April is about road safety – and a law Gov. Mike DeWine signed into effect that prohibits anyone from using or holding a phone while operating a motor vehicle has been moved up on the official offense list.
Nearly 14,000 people died last year due to crashes involving distracted drivers, with the greatest age group affected being teenagers.
"We always say that looking down at your phone is an average of five seconds," said Wood County Safe Community Coordinator Sandy Wiechman. "We know that at 55 mph you travel the length of a football field. That is far."
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are more than 325,000 serious injuries nationally from distracted driving crashes each year.
Most people think of distracted driving as when someone use their cell phone, but it's not just that. Distraction can be caused by seemingly harmless things behind the wheel like changing the radio or resetting the GPS.
"They become big things because distracted driving is evolving," Wiechman said. "We always think it's simple and little things but a mental distraction, like just listening to my phone ring and ignoring it and being frustrated because my phone is ringing and I'm ignoring it, causes me to think for 27 more seconds and to be distracted mentally for 27 more seconds after that fact."
Weichman also suggested drivers avoid having serious conversations while behind the wheel as that can also cause you to lose concentration on the road.
Sergeant Ryan Purpura of the Ohio State Highway Patrol explains that distracted driving isn't limited to just one or two age groups.
"We're always looking for that violation of distracted driving regardless of the age group," says Sergeant Purpura. "It puts that person at risk as well as the people around them at risk. If they don't want to do it for themselves, do it for the person next to them on the road way do it for their friend, their family and their loved one."
What changes with the start of the new driving law?
Gov. DeWine is warning drivers that the distracted driving law in Ohio is now considered a primary traffic offense.
“Local law enforcement officers as well as the Ohio State Highway Patrol who witness anyone manipulating their cell phone while driving can immediately initiate a traffic stop before that driver can cause a crash," he explained.
Below is a statement given by Gov. DeWine's office:
“Beginning on April 4, 2023, it will be illegal in most cases for a driver to use or hold a cell phone or electronic device while driving on Ohio roads. The use of cell phones and other electronic communications devices will be considered a primary traffic offense for all drivers, allowing law enforcement to immediately pull over a distracted driver upon witnessing a violation."
For the first six months, a warning will be given to those who are in violation of this law to make sure drivers understand and are aware of it. Due to this, official violations will start being issued in early October.
After the six month grace period, you can face up to a $150 fine and two points added on to your license for the first violation, unless a distracted driving safety course is completed. The second and third violations are a fine of up to $550 with four points added onto your license.
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