Yay!!! Texting Ban: Columbus Begins Enforcement Today

[CbrGirl]

COLUMBUS, Ohio — If you are caught texting and driving in Columbus, be prepared to fork over some cash.

The city's texting ban takes effect Wednesday, and those caught texting while behind the wheel can be fined $150.

The statute is a primary offense, meaning unlike seat-belt enforcement, authorities can pull a driver over if there is suspicion they are texting.

STAY CONNECTED: Hands-Free Device Aimed At Curbing Distracted Drivers

Passengers are not included the ban.

The city said motorists are considered to be driving even if stopped at a red light or stuck in traffic.

A car must be parked or pulled over to be exempt from enforcement.

Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for additional information.

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2010/05/05/story-columbus-text-ban-begins.html?sid=102

[KruelHouse]

For some reason, I thought that enforcement had already started. I was thinking about it last night as some arsebeetle was drifting into my lane whilst furiously massaging the QWERTY keypad.

[redrocket04]

Good! I don't know how this will be enforced, but hopefully it WILL be enforced.

[pocar]

I hope other cities will follow, defiantly a step in the right direction

[fireman_343]

Doesn't say anything about texting and riding motorcycles! Haha! Just kidding, I'm happy for it too... My grandma was almost killed because of a girl texting and ran a stop sign!

[yotaman88210]

I love texting and riding!

[Tonik]

I hope other cities will follow, defiantly a step in the right direction

What we need is a state law. This hodgepodge of city laws is impossible to keep straight. Some cities added no cell use at all unless it is hands free....all kinds of stuff. People deserve to know what the law is statewide rather than trying to keep it straight city by city.

[jessecwalters]

Good! I don't know how this will be enforced, but hopefully it WILL be enforced.

+1

[Cypress]

Damn. Now what am I gonna do with both of my hands? I need to find something else to keep my hands occupied while driving.

[redrocket04]

Damn. Now what am I gonna do with both of my hands? I need to find something else to keep my hands occupied while driving.

I plan to learn to juggle. You want in?

[John]

penalty needs to be a lot higher.

[Cypress]

I plan to learn to juggle. You want in?

Hell yeah! That sounds so much more fun than my crocheting idea.

[Gooner]

Absolutely ###**** great!! I was nearly hit once by some dozy idiot who swerved into my lane whilst texting and driving. It is bad enough when drivers are not actively looking for bikers let alone texting and paying no attention whatsoever

[|SnOmAn|]

penalty needs to be a lot higher.

$150, that's a lot in my book. You get hit with that once and you will think about it the next time, or at least when a cop is around.

[natedogg624]

i plan to knock on windows as im riding when i see someone texting and driving.

[Zach]

it's only gonna catch those morons that hold their phone above the steering wheel and steer with their wrists.

if you've got the phone down in you lap, the cop can't prove what you were doing.

[Tonik]

if you've got the phone down in you lap, the cop can't prove what you were doing.

Observes the head down...hands in lap.....swerving = probable cause for the stop. Then he searches the phones logs which the courts have allowed the cops to do.

[Zach]

Observes the head down...hands in lap.....swerving = probable cause for the stop. Then he searches the phones logs which the courts have allowed the cops to do.

Where does it say the suspected texting gives the officer the right to search my property?

http://library.municode.com/ordinances/16219/Ordinance%20No.%200237-2010.pdf

oh, that's right, it doesn't.

[gl1200]

Why not make it a state law , not just leave it to the cities ??

[Zach]

Why not make it a state law , not just leave it to the cities ??

well the state government would have to make that choice.

the cbus gov't decided they wanted to ban texting, so they enacted the legislation and made it happen.

I'd be fine if my state legislators continued to not waste time by trying to enact a barely enforceable law.

[CBR600rr]

Texting ban just as hard to enforce as seat belts.

[Sapphy]

Texting ban just as hard to enforce as seat belts.

harder really.

Although I agree texting while driving is dumb, I think this law is just as dumb. It leaves the door wide open for abuse.

[shittygsxr]

I cant wait for the first suspected texter to be pulled over and find out he was masterbating

[FZRMatt]

Observes the head down...hands in lap.....swerving = probable cause for the stop. Then he searches the phones logs which the courts have allowed the cops to do.

Unfortunately, we can not legally check phone logs if we stop someone. We have already been told that the only way to check the log is to get a warrant. We were also told that we can not get a warrant unless there is a serious injury/fatal accident. Just having a phone in their hand does not warrant a ticket but if we feel that they were texting, we can stop them. However, we have been told that basically, unless they say "I was texting" there are to be no tickets issued.

[BiggO]

Unfortunately, we can not legally check phone logs if we stop someone. We have already been told that the only way to check the log is to get a warrant. We were also told that we can not get a warrant unless there is a serious injury/fatal accident. Just having a phone in their hand does not warrant a ticket but if we feel that they were texting, we can stop them. However, we have been told that basically, unless they say "I was texting" there are to be no tickets issued.

So a person could just say, I was looking for a contact in my phone book.