For the second part of his series, Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports on how and why the law is so much tougher for Ohio minors. Click the play button above to hear his report.

Legislators passed the measure in the spring, and it will impact adult and teen drivers differently. For the first part of a two-part series, Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen looks at what the law will mean for adults. Click the play button above to hear his report.

Gov. John Kasich  signed a ban Friday on writing, reading and sending texts from behind the wheel. It goes into effect in 90 days.

The measure includes a stricter crackdown on teen drivers’ use of electronic devices. Minors would be banned from using cellphones, iPads or other electronics while driving.

Texting would be a secondary offense for adult drivers. They could be ticketed for typing messages only if they were first pulled over for another offense, such as running a red light.

Teens could more easily be pulled over for violating the texting ban.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, the measure would be among the broadest in the country in terms of teen distracted driving restrictions.

The State Highway Patrol says there were 970 confirmed fatalities during the past year and 49 more deaths that have not yet been confirmed as traffic fatalities, making the possible total 1,019. That’s down from 1,080 traffic fatalities in 2010 and 1,022 in 2009.

The patrol says it sees a correlation between the decrease in deaths and its stepped-up enforcement targeting impaired drivers. Troopers made more than 23,000 arrests in 2011 for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. That’s over 1,500 more OVI arrests than in 2010.

“The higher the price, the closer the people are cutting the edge,” said AAA Ohio roadside assistance technician Charles Pierce.

Pierce said when gas prices spike, people begin to take more chances.

“Well, maybe I’ll just put $3 in. Some people [say], ‘Well I put $2 in five days ago.’ Well, $2? That’s less than a gallon. You’re not going very far,” Pierce said.

Ohio’s average price for a gallon of regular gas stands at $3.82. While it’s below the all-time high of $4.05 a gallon set in 2008, it’s still a buck more expensive than it was a year ago.

And AAA Ohio reports a jump in the number of members calling them because they ran out of gas. Statewide, out-of-gas calls are up 20 percent over last year.

That means busier days for AAA roadside assistance techs.

A man stranded in a pick-up truck sticks his arm out of the window and waves.

Tom Goursh said his gas gauge does not work right.

“I thought I had more than I did. And actually the gas station was the next stop after the post office. But I didn’t quite make it,” Goursh said.

Goursh said since gas prices have spiked, he does not get gas as often either.

“I have been waiting longer to put gas in. [I'm] not always putting a fill up on it. Last time I filled it up it was over $75,” he said laughing. “So, I’ve been waiting longer than I should, obviously.”

While letting the gas get too low increases the risk of getting stranded, Central Ohio AAA manager Phillip Ferguson said it also increases the chance of a costly repair.

“That will clog up your fuel pump. And if your fuel pump gets clogged, you might be having to replace a fuel pump which could be anywhere from $600 to $800. So, it’s really not good to be running your tank down low,” Ferguson said.

In Central Ohio, out-of-gas calls are actually down slightly from last year. But AAA suspects that’s because people are driving less because of the higher gas prices.

Prosecutors say, last July, Daniel Jacobs was sending a text message while driving on Interstate 270 when his car drifted into the right shoulder and collided with another vehicle, killing 16-year-old Daniel Ludwig and injuring his driving instructor.

Moritz College of Law associate professor Ric Simmons says if a driver is violating the traffic code by texting at the time of an accident,

that violation might be used to increase liability in both civil and criminal cases

Simmons says two dozen states already ban texting while driving. The Ohio House has approved a measure to enact a ban statewide. The Senate has yet to act on the measure.

I would not call myself a chronic texter. I maybe send five messages a day and overall I have managed to avoid using text shorthand, such as substituting the letters, J K for the phrase, just kidding. I nonetheless find myself intrigued by the recent legislative efforts to ban text messaging while driving. The proposed measure, which has been approved by the Ohio House would ban most text messaging while operating a vehicle. The bill got me thinking, not just about my own texting habits but also about what we as a society deem appropriate and inappropriate behaviors while driving.

Clearly, what you do inside a vehicle is not considered private. We have laws limiting what types of behaviors are allowable. For instance, we think drinking alcohol before or while operating a vehicle is an inappropriate behavior. And, I would agree that anything that can impair my reaction time or cause me to sing Celine Dion karaoke should be avoided while driving a 4,000 pound machine. Yet while texting messaging behind the wheel is irresponsible and should be avoided, It is false to claim that texting is more dangerous than other activities people do in their cars.

I have passed countless vehicles during my morning commute in which I see drivers using both hands to tie a tie, or using the rearview mirror to apply mascara. Once, I even saw a woman teasing her hair. I admit to pillaging through my purse, head bent and eyes diverted from the road, in order to find my lip gloss. Its pretty obvious that any of these actions distract drivers. Yet, we do not have laws banning them. So, why text messaging?

If people want to stop drivers from being distracted, should we not also consider banning anything that takes our hands away from the ten and two positions? A recent Dispatch article quotes someone as saying that if people knew that text messaging while driving was illegal they would be more likely to stop. But, speeding is illegal and yet so many Ohio drivers set their cruise controls above 65. Merging without signaling is illegal and yet everyday I find myself shouting profanities at some driver who cut me off without using a left blinker.

Texting while driving certainly is not equal to speeding, merging without signaling, or even eating a sloppy fast food burger at the wheel. Yet the argument that it is more dangerous because of its inherent distracting nature does not hold ground, in my opinion. I am sympathetic to people who have been injured, or lost a loved one because of a distracted driver. But, before Ohio joins 19 other states in banning text messaging while driving we should take a moment to evaluate are car culture.

While banning text messaging may prevent some accidents, it definitely will not fix the problem of distracted drivers. Perhaps if we returned to thinking of driving as a responsibility rather than an obligation people would be more likely to evaluate their own distracting habits rather than place blame on texters. Doing so might cause us to think about why we engage in irresponsible behaviors in the first place. But then again this is all just IMO, in my opinion.

Columbus council member Andrew Ginther says too many drivers are putting others at risk when they text behind the wheel.

“So its time for the largest city in the state of Ohio to take action on this issue that’s affecting everybody’s safety.”

But the scope of the problem of texting while driving is hard to measure.

“We don’t have statistics that tell us exactly how big a problem it is.”

Nancie Bechtel, Executive Director of Central Ohio Trauma System, keeps track of motor vehicle crash injuries and deaths. But, she says its uncertain how much trauma is a direct result of texting while driving.

“Even on state crash report forms previously there has not been any dedicated field that says this driver was texting when they crashed. And a lot of times even when drivers are asked if they were texting they say no because they know it wasn’t the right thing to do.” Says Bechtel.

Still, Bechtel says texting while driving is a serious problem. She cites larger studies from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that count 500,000 injured and 6,000 dead in crashes involving distracted drivers who were using cellphones. In crafting Columbus proposed texting while driving ban, Council member Ginther says a generational trend also surfaces.

“What we’ve continued to see in studies nationally and in other parts of the country is that this puts some of our youngest, most inexperienced drivers at greatest risk because of the access and usage of cellphones and blackberries and texting.” Says Ginther.

Even though the toll of texting while driving is still being quantified. Ginther and others say its just common sense to ban the practice. Bechtel says texting is much more of a distraction than eating a sandwich while driving or carrying on a conversation.

“When you’re texting you actually have to take your eyes off the road, focus your eyes on a screen. It involves different areas again of use of the brain.” Bechtel says. “So its more of a mind off the road, plus your eyes are off the road for a longer period of time. Plus when you throw in the cortical motor activity of actually using your fingers to do the texting it’s a much higher brain activities than other forms of distraction.”

So what will Columbus’ proposed ordinance ban?

“This is primarily going to be an electronic hand-held device where you would be texting back and forth or reading or sending e-mails back and forth.”

Council member Ginther says, if approved as written the texting while driving ban will be a primary offense in Columbus meaning officers can pull over and cite a driver if they observe him or her texting. The proposed fine is $150. While Columbus considers its ban several other Central Ohio cities are also proposing such bans. Bexley banned texting while driving late last year. But, so far, mayor John Brennan says not one citation has been written.

Tom Borgerding

WOSU News

“It’s really a disaster just waiting to happen.”

That’s what Bexley City Council Member Jed Morison said about someone texting while driving. Morison, who proposed the ban, said there have been no serious problems in Bexley – yet.

“The whole purpose in proposing this law is simply to prevent accidents and therefore prevent injury,” Morison said.

If the ban passes, Bexley will be the first in Central Ohio to prohibit texting while driving. And those caught doing so could face a fine of up to $150.

Although there is no formal legislation, a Gahanna City Council Member has proposed discussing such a law. Cleveland already has an ordinance against texting behind the wheel.

Bexley’s Morison said the proposed legislation has received overwhelming support from local citizens. He said only one person has expressed feeling the ban is unnecessary.

“I think most people thinks that it makes good common sense, and we’re very hopeful that it will generate enough support that it will lead to state legislation being passed,” he said.

Three bills have been introduced into the Ohio House that includes some language prohibiting texting while driving.