The Ohio Senate should follow the lead of the state House of Representatives and pass a statewide ban on text messaging while driving.

Several Ohio communities, including Toledo, already prohibit the dangerous practice. The House measure would make Ohio the 34th state to criminalize text messaging while operating a moving vehicle.

A similar bill, introduced last session in the Democratic-controlled House, died in the GOP-led Senate. That can't happen again.

No matter how popular texting is, especially among young people, it can be a fatal distraction behind the wheel. State Rep. Rex Damschroder (R., Fremont) said he was inspired to introduce the bill by a recent accident in his district that involved a 16-year-old girl who apparently was driving and texting just a few weeks after she got her license.

"She went across the center line and killed a motorcyclist coming in the opposite direction," Mr. Damschroder said.

The bill, which passed the House on an overwhelming bipartisan vote, makes reading, writing, and sending text messages while driving a primary offense. It would not prohibit texting in a stopped vehicle that has pulled off the road. After a six-month grace period, drivers who flout the ban would be guilty of a minor misdemeanor punishable by a fine of as much as $150.

Driver education classes would also be required to teach about the dangers of texting and driving. It's past time for a state law that tells motorists, especially tech-savvy young adults, that texting while driving is a public safety risk that won't be tolerated.

First Published July 5, 2011, 4:15 a.m.