By Katie Jamison ’16, Contributor.
Texting while driving has become a very serious issue, especially with so many teenagers on the road. Nearly 85% of the adult population in the United States has cell phones, and almost three quarters of all teenagers have cell phones. Just in 2011, 5,870 people died and nearly 515,000 sustained injuries due to “distracted driving”.
In response, the new Ohio “texting law,” which was signed by Governor John Kasich on June 1st, was put into effect on August 31st, with a six-month warning period to follow. If you are under 18, it is now illegal to use any electronic and wireless communications while driving. This means that you can’t text, e-mail, or talk on your cell phone, use computers, play video games, or use GPS (unless it is hands-free), even if you are sitting at a stoplight, or stuck in traffic.
Violation of any of these new rules will now be considered a primary offense in Ohio, meaning that law enforcement officers may stop you for any of those reasons. The first violation will result in a $150 fine and a suspension of your driver’s license for 60 days. Any more violations and you will receive up to a $300 fine, and your license will be suspended for one year. For drivers 18 years and older, the same conditions apply, but such an offense is only considered a minor misdemeanor. Even so, you could still be facing a fine up to $150 dollars.
Texting and driving is very dangerous, and teen drivers are four times more likely to cause an accident while they are using their phones. Even in the CCDS parking lot, “distracted driving” can cause accidents, so it is important to always devote your full attention to the road when you are behind the wheel.
(Photo courtesy of http://www.illinoisplaintiffslawyer.com/put-down-the-phone-and-drive-texting-and-driving-takes-lives/)