Distracted Drivers Could Face Higher Fines In Ohio

Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at 5:10 AM

By Mike Perleberg @mikedup84

A new law went into effect Monday for Ohio motorists.

(Columbus, Oh.) - A new law is now in effect in Ohio allowing higher fines for distracted driving.

House Bill 95 went into effect Monday. It was passed by state lawmakers last July.

The law enhances existing moving violations, allowing higher fines or requiring drivers to go through a one-hour distracted driving course by the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

A news release offered examples of how the law will change enforcement. A driver operating a vehicle outside marked lanes who is also engaging in a distracted behavior, would face an enhanced fine of up to $100 in addition to a fine for the lane violation.

As far as texting while driving, the law no longer requires officers to prove a driver is texting, but only that a moving violation occurred at the time a driver was distracted.

Other violations such as red light, stop sign, speeding, and other moving violations similarly would result in potentially higher fines.

AAA says there were about 21,000 crashes in Ohio in 2017 involving a distracted driver.