DIST DRIVING LAW 

AS DISTRACTED DRIVING AWARENESS MONTH DRAWS TO A CLOSE, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER EXPERTS ARE WEIGHING IN ON THE IMPACT OHIO'S NEW DISTRACTED DRIVING LAW IS MAKING IN ITS FIRST YEAR.
FROM 2019 THROUGH 2023 THE OHIO STATE HIGHWAY PATROL CITES DISTRACTED DRIVING AS A FACTOR IN 55,857 CRASHES IN OHIO, RESULTING IN 185 LIVES LOST. BUT LAST YEAR A NEW LAW MADE DISTRACTED DRIVING A PRIMARY VIOLATION. SGT BRIDGET MATT WITH THE OHIO STATE HIGHWAY PATROL SAYS WHEN COMPARING THE LAST 3 MONTHS OF 2022 TO THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR WHEN THE LAW WAS FIRST ENFORCED, CITATIONS INCREASED 119%...


FOR THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF THE LAW BEING IN EFFECT, DRIVERS WERE ONLY GIVEN WARNINGS IF THEY WERE IMPROPERLY USING THEIR CELL PHONES ON THE ROAD. IN OCTOBER OF 2023, LAW ENFORCEMENT BEGAN ISSUING CITATIONS.