It’s illegal for a driver in Ohio to hold a phone or an electronic device in their hand or support it on any part of their body while driving. It’s also illegal to operate the phone such as dialing numbers or navigating social media while driving.
So far, data indicates that this law is making roads safer, said Sgt. Tyler Ross, with the Ohio State Patrol.
Ross was looking at data from Oct. 5, 2023 until Oct. 4, 2024, which roughly covers a year since penalties started to be given out under the law.
"Our distracted driving related crashes were down over 1,100 crashes. And fatalities were down from 31 to 25, a 19% drop." Ross said. "So if we look at our overall crashes for that entire 12 month period, it's down 15,000, and of those we had 138 fewer fatalities. So the data would support that the distracted driving law had an effect."
The law does allow you to hold the phone directly to your ear.
Ross said officers statewide are citing drivers of all ages. Taking your eyes off the road for a couple of seconds can result in someone being killed, he said.
"At the end of the day, you’re driving a 3,000 to 5,000 pound weapon on the roadway and a painted line separates you and someone else," he said. "So we have to put our phones down when we get behind the wheel."
Mandi Dillion, with the Ohio Department of Transportation, said their goal is to work with school districts and modify how students interact with their phones when in a vehicle.
"Our hope is that maybe we can get to the younger generations before they form those habits behind the wheel so that they are just used to putting that phone down and staying alert from the get go," Dillion said. "So if we can really get the younger generations educated on the importance of this so that as soon as they start driving, it's just automatic that they know they put that phone down."
The Ohio Department of Transportation is collaborating with Cambridge Mobile Telematics to analyze cell phone data about driver behavior since the enactment of the new law. Numbers indicate handheld phone use and screen interaction while driving is down 10% among Ohio drivers.
These people share their data as part of employer-based safety programs or in exchange for insurance discounts. CMT also estimates the law has prevented $283 million in economic damages.
If you see a distracted driver on the road, Ross encourages people to dial #677.
