Gov. DeWine announces traffic crashes have decreased statewide.

Gov. Mike DeWine recently announced that traffic crashes in Ohio significantly decreased to the tune of nearly 20% in the year since enforcement of Ohio’s strengthened distracted driving law began. Local police officers and the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) began enforcing Ohio’s new distracted driving law in Oct. 2023, following a six-month grace period for motorists. The law prohibits all drivers, in most circumstances, from using or holding a cell phone or electronic device while driving. According to preliminary data from OSHP, there were approximately 1,112 fewer distracted driving crashes in Ohio from Oct. 5, 2023, to Oct. 4, 2024.