The view from the Idea Center

I should be spreading love on Valentine’s Day, but I have to admit that I might have a small, but privately expressed problem with road rage.

It’s not confined to rush hour or the middle of the day. It’s not exclusive to highways or residential streets. But my road rage does have a common factor: my greatest anger is directed toward those who are constantly looking down at their phones while driving.

When I ask myself what the other driver could possibly be thinking and wondering how (if?) they obtained their drivers’ license, I often see them looking straight down at their device when I eventually pass them by.

The old problems of fiddling with the radio or eating while driving have been replaced by the scourge of cell phones.

A report from the Ohio State Highway Patrol that shows roadway fatalities on the rise in five out of the past six years is spurring action from Gov. Mike DeWine. He has a  proposal to make driving while using phones and other devices a primary offense. It’s currently a secondary offense for those over 18.

“That means that today, in Ohio, law enforcement can see a driver texting or emailing but unless that driver commits another offense such as speeding or running a red light, that officer can do absolutely nothing," DeWine said.

Predictably, the bill has a lot of support and seems likely to pass. Anything to improve distracted driving (and help reduce my road rage) in this brave new world of having everything in the palm of your hand is a welcome step.

Stay safe out there.

Thanks for reading and listening,
Glenn Forbes

Need to KnOH

Headlines from Northeast Ohio and Beyond

• Bill Would Ban Conversion Therapy For Minors In Ohio
• Ohio's Judges Considering Statewide Sentencing Database
• Three Democrats Seek A Chance To Unseat Rep. Jim Jordan
• What Mike Bloomberg Got Wrong About Reducing Gun Violence In His 2015 Speech
• McClatchy Bankruptcy Filing Won't Immediately Impact 'Mahoning Matters'
• Attorney General Says Trump's Tweets About DOJ Make His Job 'Impossible'

Your ideas

Novelist and Northeast Ohio native Toni Morrison would have been 89 years old next Tuesday. Oberlin will celebrate her life and work with a live-streamed multimedia event organized by artist Johnny Coleman. Is there one of her books you particularly enjoyed? What impact did Toni Morrison have on you? Call us at  (216) 916-6476, comment on  our Facebook page or join the conversation in Public Square. We'll feature some of your thoughts and comments here in Noon(ish) and on Morning Edition.