Final answer:
Ohio defines distracted driving as any non-driving activity someone engages in that diverts attention away from driving, specifically highlighting the use of electronic devices. Texting while driving is a primary offense for under-18 drivers in Ohio, and studies show the entrenched habit of phone use can make it hard to resist even while driving.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Ohio, distracted driving is defined as any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving. This includes but is not limited to the use of cell phones for texting or calling, eating, talking to passengers, or fiddling with the stereo, entertainment, or navigation system. Ohio law particularly emphasizes the dangers of using electronic devices while driving and considers texting while driving a primary offense for drivers under 18, which means they can be pulled over for texting alone. For drivers over 18, it's a secondary offense, implying they can be ticketed for texting if they were pulled over for another violation.
Research, like that conducted by Bayer and Campbell (2012), highlights the habitual nature of using phones and how this event schema can be hard to break, making it difficult for drivers to resist checking their phones even when they know it is dangerous. Moreover, designing studies such as those that examine the response time while texting and driving is crucial in understanding and demonstrating the tangible effects of distracted driving.