By Dominic Taylor-
An Ohio state senator used a virtual background of his home office in an attempt to hide the fact that he was driving during a Zoom meeting – on the same day a bill to ban distracted driving was introduced.
The senator was exposed because the seatbelt strapped across his chest, glimpses of the road behind him and the constant turning of his head as he changed lanes.
The footage of the meeting which was streamed live to the public via the state’s broadcaster on Monday, came on the same day Ohio legislators introduced a bill to crack down on dangerous driving, which included introducing penalties for texting and livestreaming while behind the wheel.
At the beginning of the video conference of the board which makes adjustments to the state budget, Brenner appeared in a parked car. Shortly after h reappearing with a different background featuring wooden cabinets, hanging artwork and a houseplant.
The Republican, who represents a district north of the state capital Columbus, continued to participate in the call. He was and responding to questions at the same time as keeping his eyes on the road ahead. As he drove, the background faltered, revealing glimpses of the view from the driver-side window.
Brenner denied that he was driving unsafely. He told The Columbus Dispatch he “wasn’t distracted” during the meeting and was “paying attention to the driving and listening to” the discussion.
“I wasn’t distracted. I was paying attention to the driving and listening to it [the meeting],” he said. “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 incident occurred at the same time as the introduction of a bill to Ohio’s General Assembly to penalise unsafe driving. House bill 283 proposes expanding a ban on texting while driving,
The currently a secondary offence in the state, to explicitly outlawing texting, livestreaming, taking photos and the use of mobile apps while driving.
It makes both the holding and use of an electronic device while driving a primary offence.
The state’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine, said he planned to include provisions against distracted driving in his upcoming budget proposal. He said in a press statement last year: “Ohio’s current laws don’t go far enough to change the culture around distracted driving, and people are dying because of it.
“Distracted driving is a choice that must be as culturally unacceptable as drunk driving is today, and strengthening our current laws will lead to more responsible driving.”