COLUMBUS – A central Ohio lawmaker has introduced a bill in the Statehouse that would make using a cellphone while driving reason enough to pull someone over, even if they had not committed any other violation.
It is currently considered a secondary offense for drivers over 18, meaning police must have another reason to pull someone over, but Rep. Mary Lightbody’s (D-Westerville) legislation would change that. Her proposal would make using handheld electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle a primary offense, meaning police could pull drivers over for that alone.
The Ohio Distracted Driving Task Force says 58 people were killed in nearly 14,000 distracted driving accidents in 2017, Lightbody said.
Distracted driving includes texting, making calls or surfing the internet while driving.
Gov. Mike DeWine turned a spotlight on distracted driving in December, calling for legislation addressing it and a cultural recognition that texting or calling while driving is as dangerous as drunken driving.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said traffic deaths in 2019 increased over 2018, making last year one of the deadliest on Ohio roadways during the past decade, DeWine said.
A total of 1,119 people have been killed in traffic crashes in Ohio and traffic fatalities have increased in five of the past six years, patrol officials said.
DeWine said distracted driving involving smartphones is, “without a doubt, a major contributing factor.”
According to the highway patrol, 305 people were killed in distracted driving crashes since 2013.