It only takes a second, just one instant, to become distracted by a text message or a phone call while driving. And in that instant, a serious or fatal crash can occur.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, more than 17,800 crashes happened last year as a result of distracted driving, 44 of those being fatal.

That’s why, in honor of April being National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the patrol is reminding Ohio residents to keep their eyes on the road.

Taking one’s eyes off the road, even for a moment, to read a text or take a phone call, can not only be deadly, but it’s illegal in the state of Ohio.

Drivers under the age of 18 who violate Ohio’s texting law, which became effective in 2012, can be subject to a fine of $150 and a 60-day driver’s license suspension for the first offense. A second and/or subsequent violations would equal a $300 fine and a driver’s license suspension for one year.

The law makes it illegal for teens to talk on the phone while driving, regardless if the device is hands-free.

For adults, it is also illegal to use a handheld electronic wireless communications device to write, send or read a text while driving in Ohio, although it is considered a secondary offense.

Yet, despite this relatively new law, drivers can still be seen focusing on their phones rather that the roads.

Law enforcement must crack down on drivers who violate this law if it is to have any teeth at all.

Legislators must also make texting while driving a primary offense for adults as well. There is no age in which it is more or less OK to take one’s focus off the road.

Certainly the more than 17,800 drivers who experience crash because of distracted driving last year would agree.