Ohio is not going far enough with its House Bill 99, which bans texting while driving. The act of texting is not what causes traffic collisions. Being distracted by any two way telecommunication device is what causes accidents, along with being distracted by hand held GPS devices. iPhones and GPS devices are complicated to operate. The numerous functions and steps it takes to use any such device is equivalent to the number of things to pay attention to while operating a vehicle. Therefore, holding and using a smart phone while driving a car is like operating two vehicles at once. It’s dangerous and impossible. The state of Ohio did not go far enough in House Bill 99 by only banning texting while driving. A person can eat a sandwich or take a sip from a bottle of water while driving and not cause an accident. They cannot operate an iPhone while continuing to drive safely. What separates those acts is the nature of the item in hand. An iPhone (or any phone, telecommunication device, etc.) is two-way and requires a lot of focus to use effectively. That focus should be put on the road ahead of one’s car. The state would have been much better served to abolish the use of all telecommunications devices while driving a motor vehicle. Instead more steps will have to be taken to amend HB-99 in order to ensure the safety of all drivers across Ohio.
Call or text 614-884-1100 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form