New Ohio Texting Law Focuses On Minors Under The Age Of 18
The new Ohio texting ban went into effect on January 1, 2013. No longer are police just issuing warning tickets as they had been doing since September 2012. After reviewing H.B 99 it’s fairly evident that the law primarily focuses on minors under the age of 18.
Strict Enforcement for Minors:
The new law makes texting, emailing, talking on your phone through any method, using computer, laptop, tablet, playing video games, or using a non-hands free GPS while driving a primary offense. A “primary offense” means that any of the above acts can trigger a traffic stop and ticket. This gives great authority to police officers executing this portion of the law. Merely witnessing a minor with an electronic device in a vehicle is almost immediate grounds for a traffic stop. If you are a minor, you had better put your phone away while diving!
The penalties that result from one of these violations are very steep for minors. For a first offense, minors face a 60-day license suspension, and a $150 fine. Each subsequent violation renders a $300 fine and a one-year license suspension.
The Opposite … Read More... “Texting While Driving Ban Now in Effect in Ohio”