Warren court reports few texting-while-driving citations for 2014

WARREN — During 2014, the municipal court that handles traffic offenses for Warren, Howland, Champion and Warren Township has handled only three texting-while-driving citations.

Traci Timko, assistant Warren law director, said that’s most likely because it’s difficult under Ohio’s law for police officers to detect violations.

“There are times when you pull someone over and they admit to doing it,” Timko said. And there are times when an officer pulls up

beside someone stopped at a traffic light and sees someone texting.

“It’s not illegal to make a phone call, so are they calling or texting?” Timko said.

Law enforcement has no right to check the phone to determine whether the person was texting, she added.

“We have no right to check your phone without a search warrant,” she said. “So are officers going to go to that level for a minor misdemeanor offense?”

Furthermore, Ohio’s law — one of only five like it in the nation — is written to make texting while driving a secondary offense for adults, meaning officers cannot make a traffic stop for someone 18 or older because they spot them texting.

If the officer has another reason for making the traffic stop, that adult can be written a ticket for texting, she said.

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com