Trooper: Higher fines for distracted driving good

A state agency’s proposal to increase fines for distracted driving is a move in the right direction, one Ohio Highway Patrol trooper said.

The extra money would help subsidize driver’s ed courses for those who can’t afford the tuition, the Columbus Dispatch and Associated Press reported this week.

The plan is a good one, Trooper Jaysen Kelly of the Xenia post, told News Center 7’s Andy Sedlak on Thursday night, because too many drivers are distracted by their cell phones.

“It’s understandable that they would propose such a thing because I’ve seen [the cell phone is] a common problem with distracted drivers,” Kelly said. While he admits he doesn’t know percentages, he’s certain through experience that a good number of crashes he’s investigated involved distractions — involving cell phones.

“The trend is growing because more and more drivers are using cell phones. We may not know the magnitude of it because people know the law,” he said.

One part of the plan proposed by the Ohio Department of Public Safety would allow courts to levy an additional fine for distracted driving, much like additional fines are allowed for speeding in a construction zone. There are no estimates of how much those fines would generate.

Another component of the proposal would allow first-time drivers 18 or older to skip the maneuverability and driving test and instead take a certified advance-driving course.

Ohioans younger than 18 would still have to complete driver’s education coursework, which includes classroom instruction, behind-the-wheel training and required driving hours with a parent or guardian.