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Visitor urges Grandview Heights to strengthen local penalties for distracted driving
Summary
A visiting traffic-safety advocate asked the Grandview Heights City Council to increase local penalties for motorists who cause serious injury or death while using electronic devices, citing gaps between Ohio law and local code.
Sharon Montgomery, who said she drove from Wayne, Indiana, urged the Grandview Heights City Council on Monday to strengthen the city’s penalties for motorists who cause serious injury or death while using electronic devices.
Montgomery told council members that state law treats many device-related crashes as traffic violations rather than crimes. “We have a law against it, sort of,” she said, adding that current practice lets offenders admit guilt and pay fines through a traffic violations bureau without appearing in court.
Montgomery said the state distracted-driving task force recommended stronger penalties in 2019 and asked Grandview Heights to use its local traffic code to increase penalties where state law leaves gaps. “Victims and other traffic safety advocates have been asking for this for many years. Justice demands this,” she said.
Why it matters: Montgomery framed the request as a remedy for what she described as a mismatch between the seriousness of some crashes and how they are processed under existing law. She asked council to consider local code changes that would allow more severe local penalties for device-related crashes that result in serious injury or death.
Discussion and next steps: Montgomery offered to meet with the city attorney and the safety committee chair to discuss specific code language and said she had provided materials in advance. Council did not take formal action on the request during the meeting; the item was presented during the public-comment portion and will require staff or council referral to begin any code revision process.
Context and clarifications: Montgomery referenced Ohio Revised Code 4511.204 during her remarks and noted that several nearby municipalities have increased local penalties for device-related offenses. She described differences between how device-related crashes and DUI crashes are charged under state law but did not present proposed ordinance language or a formal petition. The transcript did not record any council member committing to specific next steps beyond the offer to meet with city staff.
The visitor comment concluded with Montgomery asking for follow-up meetings with the city attorney or the safety committee chair to discuss possible local amendments.
