Greenville beats OC to a distracted driver’s law

If it were a race to see who’s first, the city of Greenville is beating the county of Oconee to having a law forbidding distracted driving. Greenville’s distracted driving ordinance goes into effect tomorrow. It bans the use of all handheld devices while operating a vehicle. The Greenville ordinance covers not only while the vehicle is in motion, but also when the vehicle is temporarily stopped—due to traffic control device or other delays. Drivers there will be allowed to use mobile devices as long as they can be used hands free. In Oconee County, the second of three required ordinances covering distracted driving is scheduled for tomorrow night’s County Council meeting. Sheriff Mike Crenshaw says once the ordinance becomes law on final reading, his office will allow a grace period before its officers begin writing tickets.