(a) Penalties. Any person who violates any provision of this chapter for which no penalty is otherwise provided is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(Ord. 2022-14. Adopted 05/26/22)
(b) Enhanced Penalty for Distracted Driving. If an offender violates Section 444.05(a), 444.05(b), 444.06, 444.07, 444.08(a), 444.09(a) or 444.12 of this chapter while distracted and the distracting activity is a contributing factor to the commission of the violation, the offender is subject to the applicable penalty for the violation and, notwithstanding ORC 2929.28 or any equivalent provision of this Traffic Code, is subject to an additional fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100) as follows:
(1) Subject to Ohio Traffic Rule 13, if a law enforcement officer issues an offender a ticket, citation, or summons for a violation for any of the aforementioned Sections that indicates that the offender was distracted while committing the violation, the offender may enter a written plea of guilty and waive the offender's right to contest the ticket, citation, or summons in a trial provided that the offender pays the total amount of the fine established for the violation and pays the additional fine of one hundred dollars ($100). In lieu of payment of the additional fine of one hundred dollars ($100), the offender instead may elect to attend a distracted driving safety course established by the Ohio Director of Public Safety. If the offender attends and successfully completes the course, the offender shall be issued written evidence that the offender successfully completed the course. The offender shall be required to pay the total amount of the fine established for the violation but shall not be required to pay the additional fine of one hundred dollars ($100), so long as the offender submits to the court both the offender's payment in full and such written evidence.
(2) If the offender appears in person to contest the ticket, citation, or summons in a trial and the offender pleads guilty to or is convicted of the violation, the court, in addition to all other penalties provided by law, may impose the applicable penalty for the violation and may impose the additional fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100). If the court imposes upon the offender the applicable penalty for the violation and an additional fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100), the court shall inform the offender that, in lieu of payment of the additional fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100), the offender instead may elect to attend the distracted driving safety course described in division (b)(1) of this section. If the offender elects the course option and attends and successfully completes the course, the offender shall be issued written evidence that the offender successfully completed the course. The offender shall be required to pay the total amount of the fine established for the violation but shall not be required to pay the additional fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100), so long as the offender submits to the court the offender's payment and such written evidence.
(ORC 4511.991)