The Columbus Dispatch
A bill that would boost the fine for distracted driving in Ohio got closer to becoming law Tuesday, though some supporters wish it were stronger.
Under House Bill 95, a driver who commits a traffic violation that occurs because the driver was distracted would face an additional $100 fine. It defines “distracted” to include hand-held electronic devices or any activity not necessary to operating the vehicle.
The Senate Local Government Committee voted unanimously for the bill, setting it up for a vote in the Senate, which passed a nearly identical bill in the prior legislative session that concluded at the end of 2016.
Patricia Kovacs of the Ohio Bicycle Federation said she supports the bill but is concerned that it does not make distracted driving a primary offense — allowing a driver to be cited for it even if no other driving offense occurs.
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, 15 states ban held-held cellphones while driving, and it’s a primary offense in each. Meanwhile, 47 states ban texting while driving, but Ohio is one of only four that does not make it a primary offense for adults.
“How many of us have not seen motorists drifting out of their lane, and we see them using a phone or looking down at their lap?” Kovacs asked the committee recently.
If lawmakers remove from law the prohibition against law enforcement stopping a vehicle if the driver is suspected of texting, it “would make all the difference in drivers’ perception of the magnitude of this violation, and hopefully change their behavior as well,” Kovacs said.
Dom Tiberi also has spoken out in favor of the bill. The WBNS-TV (Channel 10) sportscaster has made distracted driving awareness his life’s mission since the death of his 21-year-old daughter, Maria, in a car crash four years ago.
Sen. Sean O’Brien, D-Cortland, said he is likely to offer an amendment on the Senate floor calling for an increased license suspension if distracted driving is involved in vehicular manslaughter or assault.
Groups including AAA Ohio and the Ohio Insurance Institute also are supporting the bill, sponsored by Reps. Jim Hughes, R-Upper Arlington, and Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati. jsiegel@dispatch.com @phrontpage