Ohio House hears arguments regarding texting and driving

SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR

COLUMBUS — One of about a half-dozen proposed bans on text- ting while driving had its first hearing in the Ohio House this week.

Rep. Nancy Garland, a Democrat from the Columbus area, wants to stop people from typing on mobile communications devices while behind the wheel of a car, truck, trolley or streetcar.

“Ohioans are at a great risk of being injured or killed as a result of distracted driving,” according to testimony she submitted to the House’s public-safety committee Thursday. “According to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008, 5,850 people died in crashes caused by distracted driving, and an estimated 515,000 people were injured in such crashes.”

Nineteen other states and the District of Columbia have passed comparable texting bans, and Congress is considering whether to withhold a portion of states’ federal funding if they fail to follow suit, Garland testified.

A number of Ohio cities and counties also have banned using texting devices while driving.