FROM HERE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/texting-while-driving-now-illegal-in-columbus

 

Texting While Driving Now Illegal in Columbus

By Walker | April 5, 2010 6:00pm

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/archives/textban2.jpg">

 

Last month, Columbus City Councilmember Andrew Ginther hosted multiple public hearings to discuss the issue of texting while driving. This evening, a city ordinance was passed unanimously by City Council to make the practice illegal.

 

The ordinance is worded to ban text messaging, checking or sending email, web surfing, social networking applications and any other internet-based functions operated on mobile devices while driving an automobile.

 

“Texting while driving is dangerous for many reasons, but it’s particularly dangerous because it takes drivers hands, minds and eyes off the road at the same time,” stated Councilmember Ginther at tonight’s City Council Meeting.

 

Columbus will be joining 19 other states as well as the cities of Cleveland and Bexley to make texting while driving illegal. A statewide Ohio ban has been under consideration as well.

 

“While I welcome a statewide ban, the timetable for passage remains uncertain,” added Ginther. “People in Columbus have been waiting patiently for the state to take action, but we cannot wait any longer.”

 

Violations to the new law can result in a $150 fine. The new legislation will take effect on May 5th.

 

Related Topics/Discussions:

- <A href="http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,19005.0.html">Cincinnati: Texting While Driving Ban</a>

- <A href="http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,19527.0.html">Cleveland: Cell Phone Ban</a>

How would they know you were not dialing on the cell phone?

Vote this dork out.  The nanny state just won't quit!  There are laws on the books to sufficiently take care of this problem...i.e. distracted driver and reckless op.

 

Another politician attempting to bolster his career by proposing "safety legislation" that no other politician can vote down for fear of being negatively labeled a safety naysayer.  A baby killer even.  I just want to be left the hell alone by these morons in office.

Those laws haven't done much good so far.

 

While you may want to be left alone from morons in office, we, as in reasonably minded drivers, want to be left alone from idiots who are busy texting while driving their cars. 

Okay, there was a time when I supported this. But I mount my phone on the dash and plug it into the AUX port of my dash to listen to Internet-streaming music or music on its flash drive. Does that count as an Internet-based function? After all, I'm listening to Slacker Radio, which communicates to its host via an Internet protocol, so I am going to be technically breaking the law in Columbus. But it is seemless and automatic, and requires that I need not to press any buttons once the app is going. Unlike my dash-installed unit, which no longer works.

 

What about when it gives me notification of new e-mail, but I don't open it up and read it? It's automatic and gives me an indicator to check later. Is that now illegal?

 

Nanny state!

^ You won't get busted because an officer will never see you touch the buttons.

Maybe my radar is up more these last few months as this topic is discussed more frequently, but I'm seeing a LOT of people as I drive who are looking down at their phones, merrily texting away with one (or two) hands, while the car is careening down a road.

 

While I agree that this type of behavior is already prohibited by existing laws, this is still a relatively new phenomenon (really texting has only taken off in teh last few years in the US). While this new law might be redundant, it does serve to expressly point out to people that this type of activity is unsafe, and prohibited, something that they may not necessarily consider prior to the law existing. In that respect, I'm good with it.

 

Yes, you could address this with PSA's, and other communications, but a new law has the ability of directly addressing an issue created by technology that wasn't around when the old laws were created.

 

Ultimately, it was illegal before, and it's illegal now. Other than some words added to an already lengthy book, what has really changed?

 

And for the record, I'm firmly in the camp of this being significantly more dangerous than talking on a phone, for the reasons stated in the article. You shouldn't be surfing the web on your phone while driving any more than you should be watching a DVD.