Northeast Ohio police chiefs support new distracted driver law

Apr. 7—The act of using a cell phone or other electronic devices on the road is no longer simply discouraged and frowned upon by officials in the state of Ohio.

It is now against the law.

Beginning April 4, a new distracted driver law went into effect in Ohio making it illegal, in most circumstances, for anyone in Ohio to use or hold a cell phone or electronic device while driving.

The law includes a six-month grace period in which law enforcement will issue warnings as part of an effort to educate motorists about the law changes. Beginning on Oct. 4, law enforcement officers will begin issuing tickets to those found violating the law.

According the Governor's Office, Ohio's strengthened law designates the use of cell phones and other electronic communications devices while driving as a primary traffic offense for all drivers and allows law enforcement to immediately pull over a distracted driver upon witnessing a violation.

Under the previous law, distracted driving was a primary offense only for juvenile drivers, preventing officers from stopping adult distracted drivers unless those drivers also committed a separate primary traffic violation, such as speeding or running a red light.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, distracted driving has caused at least 60,421 crashes and 209 deaths in Ohio over the past five years, although distracted-driving crashes are believed to be significantly underreported.

Kirtland Police Chief Brian McCallister said the new law is a necessary deterrent to help law enforcement keep the roads safe.

"I think the law is long overdue," McCallister said. "Distracted driving is one of the primary causes for accidents today. All my officers have been given training on the law and have read the literature that the state has provided. We have also pushed literature out on Facebook for the community to see."

"I think law enforcement's job, at this point, is to increase awareness and help motorists adapt through enforcement efforts while there is a six month window to issue warnings for the violation," McCallister added. "We will certainly be stopping motorists who are observed texting and driving. Our hope is that motorists are willing to change and reduce the hazards of distracted driving to themselves and others using the roadways."

According to a post on the governor's website, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson, Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Colonel Charles Jones and Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks unveiled a new statewide public awareness campaign to draw attention to Ohio's strengthened distracted driving laws.

The new educational campaign encourages Ohio drivers to 'Lock Your Screen Before You Rock the Road' and includes a new website, billboards, printable posters, fact sheets, presentation slides, tip cards, and social media, radio, and television advertisements. Additional materials relay the simple, but important message of 'Phones Down. It's the Law.'

"Distracted driving crashes aren't accidents, they're the result of drivers who make the choice to divert their attention away from the road and risk their lives and the lives of everyone around them," DeWine said on his website. "Far too many people have been seriously injured and killed in Ohio because of poor choices behind the wheel, and we are certain that this new law will influence positive changes in behavior and save lives as a result."

According a post on to the governor's website, new research from Nationwide Insurance found that 42 percent of Ohio drivers surveyed admit making a phone call on a handheld device while driving, 25 percent say they've texted while driving, 10 percent have video chatted and 5 percent admitted to watching TV or a movie while driving.

Mayfield Heights Police Chief Anthony Mele said the city has had its own ordinance in place similar to the state law for a while and he hopes this continues to deter drivers from making dangerous decisions.

"Mayfield Heights has had an ordinance prohibiting 'Communicating With A Handheld Electronic Wireless Communications Device While Driving' since 2015," Mele said. "This ordinance allows our officers to initiate a traffic stop as a primary offense. While I do not have any statistical data available, I can tell you that our officers do stop motorists and issue a ticket occasionally for the offense."

"Our primary goal when enforcing traffic is to educate the public and change their driving behavior to make our roads safer," Mele added. "As evidence of this, more than half of our traffic stops result in a warning rather than a ticket. Most people would agree that cell phone use while driving is a problem on our roads, however, many of those same people regularly use their cell phones while driving. This new state law is a step in the right direction to changing that behavior."

Eastlake Police Chief Larry Reik said his department has always discouraged distracted driving and hopes the state law only reinforces that.

"Obviously, the law has a six-month grace period before any tickets are issued," Reik said. "We have always had a driver inattention law which addresses when your full-time attention is not being used for the operation of your vehicle. Officers have been made aware of the law change and the video which was provided by the state has been distributed.

"I am confident the officers will use good discretion during and after the six-month period. We encourage all drivers to use hands-free devices and to drive a safely as possible."