Bexley Police Chief Larry Rinehart to address Statehouse Rally: Don't Text and Drive. Thursday September 22, 2011.

Bexley Police Chief Rinehart to address rally.

Sharon Montgomery, a public safety activist, alerts Bexley Public Radio supporters about an event at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus including a presentation by Bexley Police Chief Rinehart.

A "Don't Text and Drive" Rally is scheduled by state Representative Rex Damschroder, the AAA Ohio Auto Club and Columbus City Council member Michelle Mills. The rally will be held Thursday September 22, at noon on the south lawn of the Ohio Statehouse (arrival time 11:00 a.m.).

Appearing as a rally speaker is Bexley Police Chief Larry Rinehart.

Texting is a popular form of modern communication and the volume of text messages keeps growing. Many cell phone texts are sent from behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. Motor vehicle drivers who text and drive aren’t only putting themselves in danger, they’re also putting other drivers, cyclists and pedestrians at risk as well.

While many forms of distracted driving exist, studies have found texting to be the most dangerous. Virginia Tech Transportation Institute discovered that taking one’s eyes off the road for two seconds doubles the risk of crashing but, on average, those who text and drive spend nearly five seconds looking at the texting device and not at the road. This is long enough for a vehicle traveling at 55 miles per hour to drive the length of a football field.

Currently 34 states and the District of Columbia have laws banning texting while driving. In Ohio, at least 20 municipalities have laws banning texting while driving, and there is a legislative proposal for a statewide ban. House Bill 99, sponsored by state representatives Rex Damschroder and Nancy Garland, would ban texting while driving in Ohio and make it a primary offense. This bill has passed through the House and is now awaiting Senate committee hearings.

The list of victims involved in texting while driving accidents continues to grow.

For more information on the Statehouse rally call 614-431-7896.

Sharon Montgomery discusses the safety bans on texting and driving.

Some Statehouse rules for rally participant:

Corporate banners are prohibited
Signs on sticks, poles or stakes are prohibited
No equipment, apparatus, machine or vehicle is permitted on Capitol buildings or grounds without express written permission
Helium balloons are not permitted
Inflatables are not permitted
Stakes may not be driven into the lawn

Sharon Montgomery.

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Design and photograph is copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation. Text is copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Sharon Montgomery.