Ohio Sen. Andrew Brenner said he “wasn’t distracted” when he called in to a government video conference while he was behind the wheel.
Ironically, it happened the same day lawmakers introduced a distracted driving bill.
But Brenner, R-Delaware, insisted to the Columbus Dispatch he was not distracted (and was wearing his seatbelt in the vehicle that was parked, for the most part) while he called in to the Ohio Controlling Board meeting on Monday (May 3).
"I wasn't distracted. I was paying attention to the driving and listening to (the meeting),” Brenner told the Dispatch. "I had two meetings that were back to back that were in separate locations. And I've actually been on other calls, numerous calls, while driving. Phone calls for the most part but on video calls, I'm not paying attention to the video. To me, it's like a phone call."
The same day, lawmakers introduced House Bill 283, which aims to “prohibit driving while using (an) electronic communications device.”
The bill would “expand the texting while driving prohibition to a general prohibition against using an electronic wireless communications device while driving, with certain exceptions, and to create data collection requirements based on associated violations of the distracted driving laws."
The Buckeye State is currently one of four states without a distracted driving law in place, Toledo-based NBC 24 reports.
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