More Cities Enforce Texting While Driving Bans

More area cities have increased enforcement of texting while driving bans, 10TV News reported Wednesday.

Westerville City Council voted Tuesday to add a ban, which will go into effect in January.

Westerville's ban, unlike the City of Columbus', is a primary offense, which means that drivers can be pulled over and cited for texting while driving.

Violations would be minor misdemeanors and fines would start at $150.

"What we're going to be looking for is those distracted driving tell-tale signs - the person that's left of center, weaving back and forth," Westervile police Lt. Tracey Myers said. "It's a lot like watching for a drunk driver."

10TV's Josh Poland reported that other cities, such as Delaware, Columbus and Hilliard, have reported a number of texting while driving citations in 2011.

Columbus police wrote 35 texting-related citations in 2011.

Delaware police wrote three warnings and no citations, Hilliard had one citation.

Police throughout central Ohio said that they would prefer a statewide ban, but until that happens, the local bans do make a difference, Poland reported.

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