COLUMBUS, Ohio — "The goal is not to issue tickets. The goal is to save lives."
That was the message from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine as enforcement of the state’s new distracted driving law officially begins.
“Distracted driving will no longer be tolerated in the state of Ohio,” he said during a press conference along I-71 in Delaware County on Thursday morning.
The law, which took effect earlier this year on April 4, came with a six-month grace period to allow drivers the opportunity to adjust to the new rules before facing any penalties.
So what does this mean for you? Anybody behind the wheel who is seen violating the distracted driving law can be stopped by law enforcement as activities like texting and driving are now considered a primary traffic offense.
You can see the full list of rules, exceptions and penalties HERE.
“Now that the grace period is over, local law enforcement as well as the Ohio State Highway Patrol, will have zero tolerance for those who make the choice to drive distracted,” Gov. DeWine said.
As a result, he said that troopers are now launching new high-visibility enforcement efforts “to watch for people violating the new law.”
TRAFFIC DATA
To show that the law is already working, Gov. DeWine outlined some traffic data that dates back to January of 2018. Those highlights include…
- September 2023 showed the lowest number of distracted driving crashes in almost six years with 560.
- In the first nine months of 2023, there were 1,255 fewer distracted driving crashes when compared to the same time period in 2022.
- Deaths caused by distracted driving have decreased by 25 percent when compared to the same time last year.
- Since the law went into effect back in April, distracted driving crashes went down nearly 30 percent.
- September 2023 had the fewest overall crashes “by far” when compared to any other month dating back to January of 2018.
“This law will continue to save lives every single day," Gov. DeWine said.