Bellefontaine Municipal Court Judge Ann E. Beck is reminding area residents that Ohio’s Hands-Free Driving Law in now in effect, starting Tuesday, April 4.
There is also a six-month grace period with the implementation of the new law.
“Until Oct. 5, 2023, if you are stopped, you will get a warning. After that, you will be cited,” Judge Beck noted. “Please be careful on our highways.”
According to the new law, drivers may not: Dial a phone number; update or browse social media; browse the Internet; play games; send text messages; participate in video calls or FaceTime; or record or stream videos.
Exceptions to the rule include: reporting an emergency to law enforcement, hospital or a health care provider; holding the phone to your ear during a conversation; or if stopped at a traffic light, parked on roadway or stopped at emergency or road closure.
Exceptions also apply to first responders performing official duties; utility workers in emergency or outage situations; using an amateur radio; or commercial truck drivers using mobile data terminal.
Drivers over 18 years old can make or receive calls via hands-free devices: including speakerphone, earpiece, wireless headset, electronic watch or connecting phone to vehicle. Drivers under 18 are still restricted from using their devices in any way, including hands-free features.
Earlier this week, 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 the new statewide public awareness campaign to draw attention to the state’s strengthened distracted driving laws.
“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,” Gov. DeWine said. “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.”
“There is nothing worse than having to knock on a door and inform someone that their loved one isn’t coming home. We know distracted driving is dangerous, and we are hopeful that this new law will be a reminder of that,” Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Colonel Charles Jones said.
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.
“This goes beyond just texting. We’re now seeing drivers watching videos, updating social media, and browsing the web. When a driver chooses to look at their phone, they are impacting every single person on the roadway,” said Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks.
ODOT is also installing signage to educate motorists about the law at locations across the state. These include 45 signs at the state border on interstates and U.S. highways and 19 signs at exits from Ohio’s largest passenger airports in Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Toledo.
“This new law is about changing behavior,” said Andy Wilson, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. “Drivers need to be more responsible for their own safety and to keep from harming others on our roads.”