COLUMBUS -- The State Highway Patrol found Ohio had more than 31,000 crashes involving distracted drivers between 2009 and 2011.

Almost one out of four of the accidents occured in Cuyahoga County.

The two-year period saw more than 7,800 injuries and 74 deaths due to distracted driving.

Lieutenant Antonio Matos, new commander of the Patrol's Cleveland post, said, "You take the risk of your life and other lives putting them in danger."

Distracted driving can involve taking your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, or mind off of driving.

"You can be daydreaming, thinking about what you're doing later on...it just takes a couple seconds," Matos said.

Cell phone use and texting contribute to the problem.

Ohio is one of eight states that have no prohibitions on texting and driving. A number of local Ohio communities do.

Ohio Senate President Tom Niehaus is keeping proposed legislation bottled up in committee, because a number of Republican Senators are not convinced such a law is needed or could be enforced effectively.

The OSHP says its figures are undoubtedly low because they were compiled from drivers who admitted or could be proven to be distracted.

WKYC-TV