DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A change will impact all drivers traveling in Ohio starting this week. Any driver commuting anywhere in the state will be subject to the official change.
Beginning Thursday, Oct. 5, the distracted driving law warning period officially end across the state. If a driver is believed to be driving distracted, like looking at their cell phone, the driver will receive a ticket.
When the grace period ends, the first offense for a driver is a $150 fine, along with a two-point penalty on their driver’s license. On the third or more offense, a four-point can be placed on the license of the driver, plus a $500 fine. The potential for a judge to suspend your driver’s license is also subject to the offending driver.
In April, the distracted driving law took effect in Ohio.
“As of April 4, 2023, it is illegal to use or hold a cell phone or electronic device in your hand, lap, or other parts of the body while driving on Ohio roads,” ODOT says. “If an officer sees a violation, they can pull you over.”
2 NEWS compiled a list of a few items which are illegal for drivers to do while behind the wheel. To see the full list and exclusions, click here.
- Dialing a phone number
- Sending a text message
- FaceTime or video calls
- Browsing the web or social media
- Watching videos
- Playing games
- Recording or streaming video
The Ohio State Highway Patrol has been keeping track of distracted driving numbers since 2018. Since that time, OSP troopers have pulled over nearly 45,000 drivers for distracted driving.
