Vote looms on legality of driving and texting

A bill prohibiting texting while driving passed the Ohio House of Representatives and is soon to be voted upon by the Ohio Senate.

Rep. Michael DeBose and Rep. Nancy Garland introduced HB 415 to the House in the later part of March. The bill’s sponsors hope it will increase safety on the roads, according to recent statements.

Texting-while-driving bans have already been enacted in other states and in some Ohio cities. In Columbus, University of Cincinnati student Erin Heiny was fined more than $100 for texting while driving. Distracted driving fines were enacted in Columbus Wednesday, May 5.

Heiny could not be reached for comment.

On campus, the “Turn UC Red” movement, started by fourth-year journalism student Jathan Fink, has been trying to get students and faculty to sign pledges, promising to not use a phone while driving.

If the bill passes, anyone caught texting while driving will be charged with a minor misdemeanor. After a six-month warning period, anyone caught texting while driving will receive a $150 fine.

During the warning period, police will still stop drivers who are texting, but will only issue a written warning telling drivers about the new law. The bill’s entire text can be found on the Ohio legislature website.

Distracted driving led to 5,870 deaths and 515,000 injuries last year, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The new laws and bills are part of a national movement started by Oprah Winfrey’s No Phone Zone, which seeks to prohibit phone use while driving. Oprah has released statements labeling texting while driving “absolutely stupid” and asked drivers to pull over to a safe place before using the phone.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is also taking measures to lower phone usage in cars and declared distracted driving an “epidemic.” On Wednesday, May 19, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood joined United Nations Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice and Russian Ambassador to the U.N. Vitaly Churkin in a global call to action to end distracted driving.

In addition to national agencies, cell phone companies are on-board with the measures. Joe Farren, a spokesman of CTIA — The Wireless Association — the cell phone industry’s lobby group — said cell phone companies have no problem with laws banning texting while driving.

Cincinnati Councilman Chris Bortz tried to pass an anti-texting bill in Cincinnati in August, which would enact fines ranging from $100 to $500 for texting while driving. The city council’s law committee opposed the plan, Bortz said.

Fink has seen a first-hand example of how reducing distracted driving could help.

“One day, I was driving by an elementary school,” Fink said, “I dropped the phone and reached for it. When I looked up, I saw a bunch of kids in front of [my car]. It was a wake-up call for me.”