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700-plus folks cited for texting while driving
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
More than 700 people have been cited for texting or using electronic devices while driving since a state ban on such activities took full effect two years ago, according to new statistics compiled by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Mahoning County had the most teen citations, with 10, though the majority of those came during the first 10 months of enforcement. Wayne County was second with six. Most other counties had two or fewer, and 40 counties have had no teen citations to date.
Eight adults have been cited in Mahoning County since the texting ban took effect.
Thirteen adults and no teens were cited in Trumbull County, and three adults and one teen were cited in Columbiana County.
The total includes 626 adults caught texting while also committing other traffic offenses and 83 teens ticketed for texting, talking on cellphones or using any other kind of electronic communications device while behind the wheel.
From March-December 2013, the first partial year of enforcement of the law, 198 adults and 39 teens were cited.
For 2014, the first full calendar year of enforcement, 314 adults and 31 teens were cited. And since Jan. 1 of this year, 114 adults and 13 teens have received citations for texting-related offenses.
Cuyahoga County led the state in adults cited (60), followed by Warren County (38), Lorain County (31) and Hamilton County (30).
The numbers represent only drivers cited for breaking the texting law and do not account for final convictions. They also cover enforcement activities on state highways, interstates and other areas covered by the patrol and not citations issued by local officers.
State law prohibits teens — drivers younger than 18 — from using any type of handheld electronic wireless communications device while driving. Those caught doing so face fines, plus a 60-day license suspension for a first offense and one-year suspension for subsequent offenses.
Adult drivers also are prohibited from texting while driving, though there are increased exemptions for using handheld communications devices. The infraction is considered a secondary offense, meaning officers can’t pull drivers over unless they are caught breaking other traffic laws.
State lawmakers are considering additional law changes to toughen the state’s texting-while-driving ban.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol last year began distributing pledge cards to teenage drivers to draw attention to the danger of texting while driving and other activities that divert drivers’ attention from the road.