Lyndhurst, Ohio, Boosts States Distracted Driving Law

Texting while driving in Lyndhurst, Ohio is asking for trouble. Cops here don't just look the other way. If they catch you in the act, they won't hesitate to stop you and hand you a ticket faster than a cheetah on a hot day. Unlike the rest of Ohio, where texting is a secondary offense and officers need a different reason to pull you over, Lyndhurst plays by its own rules. They consider texting a big enough no-no to make it a primary offense. So, if you think your message can’t wait, remember it’s not worth the risk. Being stared down by flashing lights just because of a text isn't anyone’s idea of fun. Stay safe out there and keep those eyes on the road! Oh, and let's not forget, that while state law considers texting while driving a misdemeanor with a possible fine of up to $150, Lyndhurst makes it a fourth-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a possible $250 fine. That's a heckuva lot more serious offense than the state provides for and might actually make drivers think first before getting behind the wheel with a handheld device. My Improv is an online Ohio defensive driving school but there is nothing funny about driving distracted. Studies have shown that distracted driving is at least as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol and causes more fatalities each year. Not only that, but incidents of distracted driving have been rising consistently for the past few years and the trend shows they are continuing that upward tick this year. But perhaps not in Lyndhurst, Ohio.

Ohio Driver Found To Be An ‘Idiot’

You might recall last month when we told you about the Ohio woman who was so determined to drive around a stopped school bus she drove on the sidewalk-in front of a preschool. This week a judge sentenced that driver, Shena Hardin, 32, after she plead guilty. Hardin was fined $250 and had her license suspended for 30 days by a Cleveland Municipal Court on Monday. The judge also required her to stand on the same corner where she evaded the bus (which was stopped to pick-up a handicapped child) wearing a sign which reads "Only an idiot drives on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus." Hardin is required by the judge to stand there next Tuesday and Wednesday, from 7:45-8:45 a.m., with the sign hanging around her neck. According to the bus driver which Hardin passed, she had been driving around his stopped bus for several days. He had notified his boss, the school and the local police, all of whom converged on the scene and used surveillance video cameras to record her dangerous (and idiotic) behavior. A teacher at the pre-school across the street from the stopped bus, where Hardin used the sidewalk as an impromptu travel lane, remarked to a local news reporter at the time that it was not uncommon for her to take her pre-school students for a walk on that very sidewalk at that very time; it was just a lucky coincidence they weren't standing on that sidewalk when Hardin drove on it. Hardin serves as an example of just what happens when you drive stupid. Not only do you risk fines, suspension of your driving privileges and possibly killing or hurting someone, but you also risk your dignity. Hopefully she will not need a further reminder of just how dangerous her driving behavior was and will never, ever, pass a stopped school bus again.

Ohio Woman Arrested For Driving On Sidewalk To Avoid School Bus

Shena Hardin, a driver from Ohio, said "not guilty" this week after being charged for taking her car onto the sidewalk to dodge a parked school bus that was picking up students last month. This plea raises some eyebrows since both the bus driver and police have clear video showing her car buzzing past without a hitch. Her car veered onto the sidewalk rather than stopping, keeping its pace as it zipped down the street. This week Hardin was in court for her actions. On Sept. 11 she was cited for failure to stop for a school bus and reckless operation of a motor vehicle. According to the school bus driver Hardin had been failing to stop for the bus repeatedly and had been warned not to continue doing that. State law, in fact every state law, requires drivers to stop when school buses are stopped for loading or unloading students. These laws were enacted to protect students and drivers. Young children, school age children, often exhibit unpredictable behavior. When you mix pedestrians of any age with vehicles the chances for an accident to occur are always increased. School children, especially, are at risk, because they might dart into traffic, not be paying close attention as they make their way onto or off the school bus. Making the situation even more unsafe, the sidewalk on which Hardin drove is right front of a daycare center. One worker there said she found Hardin's behavior very dangerous because they often walk those children on that very sidewalk. The fact that Hardin felt it necessary to drive on a sidewalk (which is also illegal) to avoid stopping for the school bus shows a complete disregard for the safety of the children which may be present and a complete disregard for traffic laws in Ohio. Next time you see a stopped school bus, no matter what state you live on or how much of a hurry you might be in, slow down and stop. It's not just the law, it's also the best way to protect children from injury.

Ohio Driver With Unrestrained Child Had 10 Active Suspensions

Ohio police noticed Tyson Wilson, 33, zooming past on U.S. 68 near Xenia, Ohio, driving like a bat out of hell. They had no clue this was only the tip of the iceberg. After a wild chase, where speeds hit 80 mph and beyond, Wilson eventually veered onto a side road and brought his car to a halt. Who would have thought the real story was just unfolding? Police administered a field sobriety test which Wilson failed. Police claim Wilson told them he drinks and drives frequently.

“He did make a statement about being high at the time and used some profanity in his quotes,” said Lt. Matt Cleaveland with the highway patrol. “He seemed pretty nonchalant about the whole deal.”

A search of his driving record showed that Wilson had so far received 33 suspensions of his driving privileges and 10 of those suspensions were still active. Meaning he had no right to be driving at all. But even that was not the end of Wilson's story. He also had his infant son sitting unbuckled in a car seat, which was also not fastened to the backseat. At any time during his high speed ride his infant son could have been injured or killed. It is bad enough to risk your own life because you are too stoned, drunk or stupid to care about your driving skills, or even the lives of everyone who happens to be sharing the road with you that day. But to put your own infant child's life at risk because you are an ignoramus is beyond belief. Unfortunately, because Wilson continues to disregard his suspended license it seems likely he will continue to risk lives just so he can be allowed to indulge his inner idiot.

Ohio Considers Online Traffic School For Students

Some lawmakers in Ohio, thinking ahead, are pondering if taking traffic school online could replace the traditional driver's ed taught in schools. These young drivers would still be required to pass the driver's exam administered by the state so they would need to demonstrate an ability to adequately operate a motor vehicle safely, but the portion of their education now required to be fulfilled by the state would instead be handled by private companies. Not everyone is favor of this plan, however and some have taken their grievances to the state level, petitioning legislators to rethink any change in the existing policy. But others are adamantly in favor of the switch saying there is nothing currently be taught in driver's education class which couldn't be effectively translated into an online program, or delivered with an existing online program like the My Improv system. Currently, 26 states require some form of driver's education for students enrolled in public school. Another 15 states allow students to complete a driver’s education class online so Ohio far from seeking new ground. And since all students and first time drivers are required to pass a state administered exam and behind the wheel road test, a move toward online driving education would hardly have an impact on their driving abilities beyond this point. There is arguably a crisis in public education at the moment, with school districts around the nation seeing their public funds reduced for a number of reasons. The school administrators then must find ways to reduce costs while continuing to provide a worthwhile education for their students. If an online traffic school can supply the driving skills and knowledge adequately enough without the need for public schools to bear the costs of employing driving instructors or teachers skilled in the program, it would seem to be an excellent alternative for schools facing a budget cut.

Full Attention Required For Some Ohio Drivers

Ohio's gearing up to put the brakes on distracted driving this month, but Bowling Green wants to hit the gas on safety rules by ramping things up even more. City folks are chatting about a plan to outlaw pretty much anything that can mess with how a person drives. This isn't just about cell phones, but even things like munching on snacks while driving. It's like they're saying, keep both hands on the wheel and eyes glued to the road. Curious how this will change folks' commuting habits? Stay tuned to discover more about this bold move and its impact. Specifically the new measure would prevent a driver from doing anything “without giving full time and attention to the operation of the vehicle.” That means if they are operating their radio, twisting the dials, or just having a conversation with someone in the backseat of their car, they will run afoul of the proposed law. Municipalities and legislators around the nation are working diligently to address the growing problem of distracted driving. Public safety officials have reams of evidence which suggests that distracted driving is already a leading cause of fatal vehicle crashes and is showing signs of becoming an even bigger problem in the future as more and more mobile technology becomes available to consumers. There has been a great deal of dispute about the hazards of distracted driving with groups on both sides claiming they have evidence to support their cause. But a preponderance of evidence points to an increase in distracted driving and an increase in deaths caused by distracted driving. The insurance industry has pointed to distracted driving as the single greatest threat to automobile insurance rates and the likelihood those rates will rise as a result of increased injuries and deaths from collisions. Not all states have enacted bans on distracted driving. Ohio is only the most recent of nearly 40 states which have done so. In some states, such as Texas, legislators have said they will leave the issue of whether or not to ban distracted driving to municipalities, and some, such as San Antonio, have enacted tough distracted driving bans as a result. If you want to learn more about the dangers of distracted driving, consider attending our online defensive driving school!

Midwest Drivers Struggle With Sudden Snow

The New Year kicked off with a bang and a thick sheet of snow blanketing the Midwestern United States. The entire Ohio Valley and areas to the west experienced a sudden snow squall, taking everyone by surprise. For anyone who has not successfully completed an online traffic school (preferably a comedy traffic school) this meant a dangerous morning commute followed by an equally dangerous drive home from work in the evening. The snow wasn't deep, but it was unexpected, meaning road crews were having a hard time getting the roads clear in a timely basis. Because weather forecasters had mostly failed to predict heavy snowfall for today, many road crew personnel were off for an extended holiday weekend, meaning there were few snow plows and salt trucks on the road when the snow began to pile up. Fortunately the snow started falling heavy early enough to give crews a chance to get started before the rush hour began, but many early risers took the brunt of the poor driving conditions. The Ohio Department of Transportation was busy calling in drivers to handle the snow at 5 a.m. this morning, in an effort to get the highways clear, but despite these efforts nearly a dozen cars had gone off the road as a result of the snowy conditions by 9 a.m. Interstate 71 and Interstate 275 were both closed as a result of vehicle crashes caused by the snow. In Indianapolis, dozens of weather related vehicle crashes were reported throughout the day and highways all around the city were closed as crews struggled to keep up with the changing, and worsening driving conditions. There is no substitute for excellent defensive driving skills when the weather turns ugly. Highway crews do their best to keep the roads clear and safe, but even without snow piles the going is dangerous. Black ice is a common problem; when the ice on the road is dark colored and hardly visible to oncoming drivers, usually in areas where the wind is strongest across the roadway, presenting a dangerous slick spot when the drivers least expect it. If you live in an area where unpredictable winter weather is, well, predictable, it is best to take precautions on your own. Be certain you have proper air pressure in your tires, and be certain to check the condition of your spare. Also keep a snow scraper and battery cables in your trunk, and don't plan and getting any where in a hurry. It is always better to arrive at your destination safe and late, than to not arrive at all. Image: dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net