Granville bans cellphone use while driving

The Licking County village of Granville has adopted an ordinance that will prohibit drivers from using a cellphone or any other device that prevents drivers from keeping both hands on the steering wheel.

The law was approved in a 3-1 vote by the village’s council at its meeting last Wednesday.

Village Mayor Melissa Hartfield said Monday that the law likely won’t be enforced until after Christmas or the beginning of 2019.

According to the ordinance, drivers will not be allowed to hold a cellphone — meaning no texting, phone calls or other activities on phones — while operating a vehicle.

Drivers will be able to use hands-free or voice-operated devices.

“My personal experience is that when I see someone driving badly and weaving, more times than not you can tell they’re using their phone,” Councilman Dan Finkelman said. “You don’t have to be distracted for more than a second for something tragic to occur.”

Hartfield said the village plans to put up signs to communicate the change in the ordinance for those who travel to and through the village, as well as Denison University students who come into the village each fall.

“It’s going to be a process for not only students and travelers, but residents in our village also,” Hartfield said. “We’re going to do our best to understand this is new and that we have to give people an opportunity to know it’s in place and slowly integrate it.”

Granville is the latest municipality to enact a ban on cellphone and electronic device use while driving. Hartfield said the village’s policy is similar to one Bexley enacted in 2016.

Columbus, New Albany, Hilliard, Worthington and Delaware have all had a ban on texting while driving since 2010.

Dublin and Westerville enacted a texting ban in 2011.

A new state law went into effect in late October expanding the definition of distracted driving to include any form of distraction, including applying makeup and talking on the phone.

Distracted driving is a secondary offense, meaning police officers have to pull a driver over for another traffic violation, but can also issue a ticket for distracted driving.