YOUNGSTOWN — The city is using a provision in the state’s law prohibiting texting while driving to permit it to divert some of the fines collected from violators to Youngstown’s general fund.

An upgraded state law makes distracted driving a primary offense — meaning a person can be pulled over by law enforcement for texting or other uses of cellphones while driving — with a stricter limit on how people can use cellphones, personal digital assistants and computers while operating a motor vehicle. The law took effect Oct. 4.

As part of it, the state permits municipalities to pass local laws that mirror the state code, said A. Joseph Fritz, a Youngstown senior assistant law director.

“Currently, the city gets none of the money from the fines,” he said. “With this in place, it will be divvied up with the city getting a portion of the money.”

City council approved the local law at its Wednesday meeting. Fritz said he didn’t know when the local law would go into effect, but added, “it will take a little time.”

Fritz said, “it behooves our officers to write them up under the city code as a portion of the money will go to the city.”

A fine for a first offense is up to $150 and two points on a person’s driver’s license. People can avoid the fine and points for a first offense by taking an approved distracted driving class.

A second offense carries a fine of up to $250 and three points while a third offense is punishable by a fine up to $500, four points and a possible 90-day license suspension.

“The money is collected at the court level. We won’t get all of it. Some goes to court funds. We would get a portion and it would go to the general fund as revenue,” city Finance Director Kyle Miasek said.

The amount of money collected by the city isn’t known, but the new law will permit the portion that goes to the state to be kept by Youngstown, Fritz said.

The village of Poland passed similar legislation in December.

The law makes texting, checking websites, streaming videos, dialing a phone number or making video calls on cellphones a primary offense.

There are a number of exceptions, including being permitted to hold a phone near your ear for a call as long as you can start and end a call with a single touch or swipe; you can use a speakerphone or wireless headset or Bluetooth; you can use phones at a traffic light or parked on a road or highway during an emergency closure; in cases of emergency; and using navigation services as long as you don’t type in a destination while driving or hold your phone.

Drivers younger than 18 aren’t allowed to use their phones at all in vehicles.