Texting while driving banned in Toledo

DOWNTOWN TOLEDO - UPDATE 4:48 p.m. EST: By a 10-2 count, Toledo City Council voted to ban texting while driving in the city of Toledo. The measure will go into effect Jan. 1.

The only two council members to vote no for the ordinance were Lindsay Webb and Michael Ashford. Councilwoman Webb voted against the ordinance because she believes the texting while driving ban should be banned state-wide, not just a few communities throughout the Buckeye state.

"It's very similar to the smoking ban, which in my opinion had detrimental affects when we just passed it in Lucas County because people could simply go to the outlying areas," she said. "So I want to see consistency across all boundaries and I would like to see it passed state-wide."

It's illegal to read, answer, or send text messages while driving, and that doesn't mean it's okay to text at a stop light.

Driving is considered anytime that your vehicle is not in park.

Council members hope that this new law will lead to fewer crashes.

"Would it be used on every single citation?," questioned Councilman D. Michael Collins. "Probably not. Probably it is those occasions that may be rare but it is extremely critical that we get the evidence necessary in order to prove or disprove the responsibility on the accused."

Previous report, posted 4:19 p.m.

It may soon be illegal to text and drive in Toledo.

City Council is expected to vote on an ordinance that would make that the law during a meeting late Tuesday afternoon.

Members of council say the law would keep drivers eyes on the road, instead of their cell phone. They hope that this measure will lead to fewer crashes on Glass City roads and highways.

If the ordinance is passed, it would make it illegal to read, answer, and send text messages while you are driving a vehicle. The ordinance would go into effect Jan. 1.

The measure would allow motorists to answer and talk on your cell phone.

If found guilty of texting while driving, on first offense, it would be a minor misdemeanor, and could cost you up to $100 in fines.

"When you're driving an automobile, the assumption is that 100-percent of your attention is on the road and the vehicle you're operating, that's the assumption, anything short of that is a recipe for an accident," said Councilman D. Michael Collins.

Critics of the proposed law, say it would be an invasion of privacy because it would allow police to pull cell phone records. It would also make it difficult to enforce the law because cell phone records would only show if a text was sent when the driver was pulled over, not if the driver was in the middle of typing or reading a message.