Tt post may 24, 2017

http://toledotalk.com/cgi-bin/tt.pl/article/211846/24May2017/Texting_while_driving_to_be_a_primary_offense

The Blade story mentioned the word "texting" 11 times.

Toledo's police chief announced today that officers can pull over and ticket motorists who are believed to be texting while driving.

Has the word "texting" become a catch-all for "using the phone"?

Is texting while driving considered bad, but using Amazon, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, etc. while driving is okay?

From the current state law:

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4511.204

4511.204 Driving while texting.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle, trackless trolley, or streetcar on any street, highway, or property open to the public for vehicular traffic while using a handheld electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication.

The current state law focuses on text. Taken literally, it seems okay to drive a motor vehicle while using a handheld electronic device to snap, send, and view photos and videos.

The Ohio texting law has exceptions:

(B) Division (A) of this section does not apply to any of the following:

A person reading, selecting, or entering a name or telephone number in a handheld electronic wireless communications device for the purpose of making or receiving a telephone call;

Odd.

While driving, it's bad to send a text message, and it's bad to post a text comment to Toledo Talk, but it's okay to view Snapchat, and it's okay to update the contact list on the phone.

More from the state law:

"Write, send, or read a text-based communication" means to manually write or send, or read a text-based communication using an electronic wireless communications device, including manually writing or sending, or reading communications referred to as text messages, instant messages, or electronic mail.

I guess that if you get pulled over for erratic driving, allegedly caused by texting, then explain to the officer that your dangerous driving was due to watching YouTube videos or playing games, which apparently means that you will go free with no ticket.

November 2009 Toledo Talk thread titled Ban on texting while driving passed in Toledo

It seems that "failure to control" or "reckless driving" should cover this issue, instead of the focus on texting.