How have Ohio’s distracted driving rates changed with phone restriction law?

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A new report shows a “notable” decrease in distracted driving in Ohio since a law making it illegal for drivers to hold a cellphone in most instances was passed in April 2023.

Cambridge Mobile Telematics, the world’s largest telematics service provider, has been monitoring the impact of Ohio’s distracted driving law over the past year. Usage-based insurance programs use CMT’s data to offer discounts to drivers. This involves downloading an app that has CMT’s technology in it, which analyzes sensor data from phones. CMT then tracks “phone motion events,” which occur when a driver handles their phone with the screen on while the vehicle is moving over 9.3 mph.

CMT’s phone motion data analysis found an 8.6% decrease in distracted driving in Ohio since the distracted driving law took effect. An estimated 3,600 crashes, 2,000 injuries, 17 fatalities and $144 million in economic damages were prevented due to the reduction in distracted driving, according to CMT.

In the months leading up to the law’s enforcement, Ohio drivers spent an average of one minute and 42 seconds interacting with their phones for every hour of driving. In month two of the law, that figure dropped to one minute and 30 seconds of distraction. By the tenth month of the law’s implementation, drivers spent an average of one minute and 29 seconds interacting with their phones per hour, a 13-second drop, according to CMT’s analysis.

“That certainly is a big decrease,” said Matt Bruning, press secretary at the Ohio Department of Transportation.  “When you look at the actual data, it’s about a 13-second drop and you would think ‘okay, well, that doesn’t seem like a lot’ but you consider how far you can travel at highway speed in 13 seconds; a lot can happen in that 13 seconds. And so certainly making reductions like that is a sign that we’re going the right direction in Ohio.”

Over the past five years in the state, there have been over 57,000 distracted driving-related crashes. Of those, 56,000 crashes were due to a distraction from within the vehicle and over 16,000 resulted in a serious injury or fatality, according to Public Affairs Unit Sergeant with the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) Tyler Ross.

Before the 2023 law was passed, law enforcement officials could not pull over a driver simply for using their phone, but would have to wait until they observed a “primary violation.” Examples of primary violations include disobeying a traffic signal and following too closely.

“So now that this is a primary tool we can stop that vehicle just observing [phone usage],” Ross said.

If an officer witnesses a driver dialing a number, sending a text, scrolling on social media, watching videos or recording videos, they can pull the driver over. However, under this law drivers can still report an emergency, hold their phone to their ear on a call (as long as it takes a single swipe to start the call) or use their phone at a traffic light.

For a first offense, drivers will get two points on their license and a fine of up to $150. They can waive the fine and points after a first offense by taking a distracted driving course. Then, another offense within two years is three points and a fine of up to $250. Any offense after that, within two years, is four points, with fines of up to $500 and a possible 90-day license suspension. All fines double in work zones.

In the six-month period before the law was passed (October 2022 to March 2023), the OSHP wrote 3,630 violations related to distracted driving. In the same six-month period after the law was passed (October 2023 to March 2024), the OSHP wrote 8,650 distracted driving-related violations – a 119% increase. Data also suggests that distracted driving-related crashes were down approximately 19% compared to this time last year, according to Ross.

Data from the OSHP shows that over the past five years, Cuyahoga County has led the state in the number of distracted driving crashes (5,321), followed by Franklin (4,450), Hamilton (4,446),  Montgomery (2,874) and Lucas (2,391). Combined, these five counties accounted for more than one in three distracted driving crashes in Ohio.

Male drivers also made up the majority of distracted drivers (56%). In fatal crashes, males were the distracted driver two-thirds of the time and nearly one in three distracted drivers were 15 to 24 years old, according to the OSHP.

Ross called distracted driving just as “deadly and dangerous” as impaired driving. He said if anyone witnesses unsafe driving they can safely call #677 to get in touch with the OSHP. Beginning in April, which is National Distracted Driving Awareness month, the state will ramp up its “Phones Down. It’s The Law” campaign.

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