Hamilton County second highest in state for distracted driving crashes

Why it matters: The county had nearly 3,800 distracted-driving crashes from 2021 through 2025, second only to Cuyahoga County, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

• Cuyahoga County had 4,373 crashes.
• Ohio recorded 48,266 distracted-driving crashes during the five-year period, killing 170 people and injuring 25,124.

The big picture: Ohio has gotten more aggressive about enforcing distracted-driving laws since expanding its hands-free law in 2023.

• State Highway Patrol issued 42,371 distracted-driving citations in 2025, up 42% from 2024.
• In the two years after primary enforcement began, troopers issued 65,503 distracted-driving citations — about four times as many as the 16,344 issued during the comparable two-year period before enforcement changed.

Flashback: Ohio outlawed texting behind the wheel in 2012, but the original law made it a secondary offense for adult drivers — meaning police generally couldn't pull someone over solely for texting.

What changed: Ohio's expanded hands-free law took effect in April 2023, allowing officers to stop drivers they see illegally using or holding a phone.

• The law generally prohibits drivers from holding or supporting a phone, scrolling social media or manually entering information while driving, with limited exceptions.

Zoom out: The tougher law has coincided with slightly less phone use behind the wheel.

• State data shows phone motion while driving fell marginally from 1 minute, 39 seconds per hour in March 2023 to 1 minute, 25 seconds by May 2024.

Yes, but: The Hamilton County crash figure isn't limited to cellphone use.

Ohio's distracted-driving data also includes crashes involving distractions from passengers and other activities inside a vehicle.

The bottom line: Ohio is writing far more distracted-driving tickets under its hands-free law, but Hamilton County's five-year crash total shows the region still has plenty of room for improvement.