Last updated: March 23, 2024
Cell phone legislation news: State Rep. John Carson continues to tinker with Georgia’s distracted driving laws. The sponsor of 2018’s Hands-Free Georgia Act returns with 2021-22 legislation that would remove the forgiveness for violators who buy hands-free kits. “It’s time to close this loophole and save lives,” he told reporters. The House agreed, backing his plan in early March. In 2020, Carson unsuccessfully sought to double the fines: “People are still using their phone because there’s not much deterrent” in the $50 cell phone fine, he said at the time. “The newness of it has worn off.”
State Police say they’ve written almost 50,000 citations under the state’s 2-year-old hands-free law. At the end of June 2020, troopers logged 49,535 tickets under the 2018 law. Most were for holding an electronic communications device. The distracted driving rules require Georgia drivers to use hands-free devices or voice-activated technology in order to talk on their phones.
Distracted driving laws:
- Use of handheld cell phones prohibited for all drivers.
- Text messaging banned for all drivers. Also viewing or recording of videos.
- School bus drivers may not use wireless telecommunications devices (some exceptions).
Fines: $50, then $100, then $150 with 1-3 points. First offenses could be dismissed with proof of hands-free device purchase.
Distracted driving legislation (2021-2022):
House Bill 247: Would remove the pardon for cell phone offenders who buy hands-free devices. Approved by the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee on Feb. 18. Approved by the House in a 119-52 vote of March 8. To the Senate. (Carson)
HB 165: Would allow for the use of mounts on windshields for support of wireless telecommunications devices and stand-alone electronic devices. Approved by House committee Feb. 16. Approved by the full House in a unanimous vote of Feb. 18. To the Senate. (Barr)
Senate Bill 203: Would allow motorists stopped at red lights to use handheld communications devices. Approved by Transportation on Feb. 26. Amendment requires mounting of the device. Rejected by the full Senate in a 35-14 vote of March 9, 2022. (Gooch)
SB 356: Would allow motorists stopped at red lights to use handheld communications devices. (Ginn)
Distracted driving notes (2022):
State Sen. Frank Ginn filed legislation seeking to water down the hands-free law to allow motorists to use wireless devices while stopped at red lights. It was rejected in mid-March. He said the intent of SB 203 was to “go after those that are moving and distracted.” He said citizens were “being penalized maybe a full day’s wages for violating the law when they’re sitting still.”
Ginn says motorists often don’t pay attention to the changing light because their heads are down looking at cell phones they are concealing. “The impetus of this bill is to keep our traffic moving,” he said. A variety of safety advocates opposed the bill at an early February hearing.
(text continues)
Recommended Gear to help prevent distracted driving
Universal Dashboard Windshield Suction Cup Holder for Smartphones
Wireless Bluetooth Earpiece V5.0 Hands-Free Earphones
Bluetooth Headset Wireless with Battery Display Charging Case
“A Deadly Wandering” Distracted Driving Book
(Amazon affiliate links/ads)
2020 distracted driving notes:
State Rep. John Carson writes of the changes proposed under his “hands-free update bill” HB 113: “There simply must be more deterrent to discourage this (distracted driving) behavior, and we must make it culturally and socially unacceptable on our roads, like DUIs. … The facts are simple: Using a cellphone while driving is a hazardous habit that needs to be broken, and higher fines are an effective deterrent to that habit. Let’s close the loopholes in the law, change our culture towards this driving behavior and continue to save lives.”
2019-2020 distracted driving legislation:
House Bill 113: Would bar drivers under the age of 18 from using wireless communications devices. Fine: $150 and $300 if an accident results. Amended and approved by the Public Safety Committee on Feb. 12, 2019. No House vote. Updated in February 2020 to include handheld fines of $100, then $200 and $300. No first-time waiver of fines. Doubles fines in school or construction zones. Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee substitute of Feb. 24 rewrites to set fines at $25 to $100 (all offenses). Withdrawn. (Carson)
HB 171: Would allow for mounting of wireless communications devices such as smartphones on a windshield. Current state law prohibits attaching objects to windshields. Approved by the House in a unanimous vote of Feb. 27. Cleared by the Senate Public Safety Committee on March 14. Rejected by the Senate in a 28-27 vote of March 26. (Barr)
2019 distracted driving notes:
The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety says the distracted driving law contributed to “a reduction in fatalities and to the reduction in crashes” in 2018’s year-end totals. Preliminary numbers for 2019 show a 4 percent decrease in fatalities. Traffic crashes and fatalities both fell in the months after the distracted law went into effect July 1, 2018.
Atlanta police are creating a three-officer task force to combat distracted driving and other forms of impaired driving. The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety awarded Atlanta police a $332,970 grant to fund the effort in early December.
The Georgia State Patrol said it handed out 24,862 handheld cell phone law tickets between July 1, 2018, and June 30 of this year.
Police officers posing as roadway construction workers in Cobb County racked up the distracted-driving citations in mid-July. One intersection yielded almost 200 tickets in a few hours, police reported.
State Rep. Timothy Barr found himself in violation of state law when trying to comply with the 2018 hands-free requirement for drivers. Attaching objects to a windshield is illegal in Georgia, he found. That includes mounts for GPS and cell phones. “We’ve asked people not to do something and then sort of forced them into doing something else that’s illegal,” he said. The result is HB 171, which makes an exception for wireless communications devices provided the mount “minimizes obstruction” of the driver’s view.
2017-2018 distracted driving legislation:
House Bill 673: Would require use of hands-free technology when using cell phones while driving. House version fine: $300 to $450 (first offense total, via “additional fine set by judge”). Second offense $400 to $650. Then $650 to $900. One to three points vs. the driver’s license ; four points for “serious repeat offenders.” Allows for single swipe or touch operation. No video viewing. GPS OK. Approved by the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee in an 11-2 vote of Feb. 21. Approved by the full House in a 151-20 vote of Feb. 28. Approved via voice vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 22. Approved by the full Senate in a 55-0 vote of March 27. Amended and approved by the House on March 29 and returned to the Senate. Final approval by the House in a 144-18 vote of March 29. Signed into law by the governor May 2. Took effect July 1. (Carson)
Senate (final) version: First-time fine of $75, then $150, then $300 $50, then $100, then $150. Smart watches exempted from ban. First-time offenses voided if driver shows proof a hands-free device has been purchased or acquired. Fines: $50, then $100, then $150 with 1-3 points. Final vote of March 29: 52-1.
HB 7: Would bar use of a handheld communications device to engage in a phone call while driving. Fine: $150. (Waites)
HB 163: For adult drivers, would outlaw use of a handheld communications device to engage in a phone call. (Already prohibited for drivers under age 18.) Also cites school bus drivers. (Price)
HB 401: Would have excluded motorcycle operators from prohibitions of wearing a headset or headphone while driving. Approved by Motor Vehicles Committee on Feb. 23. Withdrawn by sponsor March 31. (Clark)
House Resolution 282: Created the House study group on distracted driving. Approved by the House on March 30. Committee members appointed in early June with first session in late August. (Carson)
2018 distracted driving notes:
Georgia’s recent hands-free law came out of work done by the House Distracted Driving Study Committee. The distracted driving panel was established in response to soaring highway death rates. “This is the DUI issue of our generation,” HB 673 sponsor Rep. John Carson says. A “cultural change” about smartphone use could be under way in the state, he says. Carson returned in 2019 with legislation that would prohibit drivers under the age of 18 from using cell phones and similar devices. Read more about the Georgia handheld cell phone ban.
At the hands-free law’s signing ceremony, Gov. Deal was surrounded by families of the Georgia Southern University nursing students who died in a 2015 crash in which a truck driver’s distraction is suspected. “Hopefully it will prevent the same kind of pain and tragedy being suffered by other families in the future,” he told their relatives. The The hands-free legislation from Rep. John Carson went down to the wire, as the House and Senate differed on several key elements over the closing days of the legislative session.
The first six months under Georgia’s handheld cell phone ban for drivers yielded 8,036 citations, according to the the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
Smyrna and Marietta have become the first cities in Georgia to adopt handheld cell phone laws for drivers. Both ordinances were set to go into effect in early April, but were awaiting results of the statewide legislation. Fines: Up to $150. The Smyrna ordinance was approved by the City Council in early January and the Marietta law was OK’d in mid-February.
An amendment seeking to strip House Bill 673 of its major elements was soundly defeated before the late-night Feb. 28 vote approving the distracted driving measure. The handheld ban bill’s sponsor, Rep. John Carson, “had to overcome this strong effort that developed hours before his bill came to the floor,” a colleague said. A pair of minor amendments to HB 673 were approved.
Smyrna and Marietta are expected to put off enforcement of their handheld cell phone laws until after the legislative season, to see if a statewide law succeeds. Marietta Mayor Steve Tumlin said in late January, “We’re looking at what Mr. Carson proposed in the Georgia House, and we’re looking at Smyrna at the same time.” The local laws are nearly identical. The Smyrna ordinance expires after two years, at which point, backers hope, there will be a state handheld law.
Smyrna’s handheld cell phone legislation needed a tie-breaking vote from the mayor to see adoption. “It terrifies me sometimes to see folks on their phones or using handheld devices,” Mayor Max Bacon said. “I have no reservations.” One council member called on the state “to do its job” and upgrade the lightly regarded texting law.
The House Distracted Driving Study Committee issued its report on the last day of 2017. It was followed closely by the introduction of House Bill 673. Read the distracted driving report.
2017 distracted driving notes:
Georgia appears to be in for another rough year on the roads, with 996 deaths reported as of September 2017. A State Patrol spokesman said many fatalities “are directly related to texting and driving or driving distracted.” Officials reported 1,500 deaths in 2016 — about 70 more than in 2015. The Department of Transportation also says smartphone use is a major factor: “We’re seeing a lot of distraction,” a DOT official said. “We don’t want to see people die on Georgia roads for something as silly as a text.”
Ten state lawmakers have been appointed to a study group on the issue of electronic distracted driving. The panel of seven Republicans and three Democrats will focus on the role cell phones play in the state’s rising number of highway fatalities and make recommendations for possible legislative remedies. At the study committee’s first meeting Aug. 28, the panel was repeatedly urged to back a hands-free law. Harris Blackwood, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, told the panel: “Hands free is not a cure-all. But it makes the law more enforceable.” The study group’s chairman, state Rep. John Carson, said he wasn’t convinced a handheld cell phone ban was needed: “It’s going to be up to what the citizens of Georgia really want to do.” The panel was created by House Resolution 282 (below).
State Rep. Keisha Waites filed legislation for the 2017-18 session seeking to outlaw use of handheld communications devices to make phone calls while driving. There was no activity on the bill during 2017. The proposed fine is $150. Georgia currently prohibits text messaging by all drivers and the sending of “Internet data.”
Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety director Harris Blackwood points the finger at distracted drivers for the “disappointing” increase in fatalities in 2016: “People are running into structures, they are running into other cars, they are departing the roadway, crossing the center line — and all those are symptomatic of distracted driving particularly texting,” he told WGCL. His office has begun a new PSA campaign about the issue.
Distracted driving notes (2016):
Georgia’s Department of Driver Services processed 3,866 cell phone-related citations in 2016. That’s up about 30 percent from 2014.
State Rep. Rahn Mayo, who made several attempts to toughen Georgia’s distracted driving laws, was defeated in the Democratic primary of May 2016.
2015 distracted driving notes:
Harris Blackwood, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, told the AP: “Texting is the No. 1 distraction we have, and it is a real problem.” Blackwood was commenting on 2015’s 16 percent increase in traffic deaths statewide. Texting “may be coming home now to haunt us a little bit,” he said.
The state of Georgia is seeing an increase in 2015 traffic fatalities, and the DOT puts most of the blame on distracted driving. The increase, through the last week of the year, is 16 percent. The Georgia Department of Transportation said 1,345 people had died in 2015 as of Dec. 28. Traffic fatalities appear to be up across the nation so far in 2015.
Georgia lawmakers quickly approved 2015 electronic distracted driving legislation aimed at commercial drivers. The restrictions bring Georgia into line with federal DOT regulations regarding cell phone use by those drivers. HB 118 was signed into law May 12.
Georgia drivers have been hit with an increasing number of convictions for distracted driving, peaking at 2,712 in 2014. Midway through 2015, the number is 1,168, according to the Department of Driver Services. Since the ban on texting & driving and related activities began in 2010, there have been about 7,800 convictions.
State Rep. Rahn Mayo’s new legislation for 2015-16 is House Bill 10, his third try at outlawing the use of handheld cell phone by drivers. The plan will “save lives,” Mayo has said. “We think this will curtail distracted driving on our roads and highways.” Previous and similar cell phone bills died quickly in the House, with supporters complaining that conservatives had “no appetite” for further distracted driving laws. Mayo’s proposed fine is $150, without additional fees or points. The bill did not succeed.
2015-2016 distracted driving legislation:
House Bill 10: Would outlaw mobile phone calling without the use of hands-free devices. Fine: $150, no fees or points. (Mayo)
HB 118: Outlaws use of handheld communications devices by commercial drivers. Brings state into line with federal DOT regulations for commercial drivers. Also bars reaching for handheld devices while driving. Approved by the House in a 147-11 vote of March 2. Approved by the Senate in a 51-1 vote of March 31. Signed into law by the governor May 12. (Tanner)
2014 distracted driving notes:
State Rep. Rahn Mayo says he’s trying again with a handheld cell phone measure because of “countless injuries and fatalities” linked to distracted drivers.
2013-14 legislation:
House Bill 34: Would outlaw use of handheld cell phones while driving a vehicle in Georgia. (Mayo)
2013 distracted driving notes:
As of late January 2013, almost 2,000 drivers have been convicted under Georgia’s texting & driving law.
2012 distracted driving notes:
Villa Rica’s City Council rejected a general distracted driving ordinance Sept. 3. In addition to banning handheld cell phone use while driving, prohibitions would have included eating, writing, grooming, etc. The mayor said he saw no reason to go farther than the state’s 2010 law.
Georgia has issued only about 1,300 tickets under the distracted driving laws that went into effect two years ago, the Department of Driver Services reported in late October 2012.
Gov. Nathan Deal has not taken a position on a hands-free law, WSBTV reported.
Only one bill was filed for the 2011-12 General Assembly sessions seeking to ban use of handheld cell phones while driving. State Rep. Rahn Mayo’s plan died in the House. Mayo, D-Decatur, refiled the distracted driving bill for the 2013-14 session.
The City of Atlanta has barred its employees from using cell phones while driving on the job. The City Council cited liability and the overall toll of distracted driving in its Aug. 20, 2012, decision.
2011-12 legislation (dead):
HB 67: Would have outlawed use of handheld mobile phones while driving. Died after second reading. (Mayo)
2011 distracted driving notes:
The Georgia Chapter of the National Safety Council isn’t going to bat for HB 67, which would ban handheld cell phone use but allow calls using hands-free accessories. “Just going to a hands free (device) does not improve safety,” Robert Wilson said. “The distraction is not the physical phone, it’s the conversation.”
2010 session legislation (successful):
SB 360: Would outlaw text messaging and related activities on cell phones while driving. Specifies the ban would not apply to cell phone calls. Fine $150. Also would prevent young drivers with instructional licenses from applying for a regular license if guilty of two texting violations in a year. Approved by the Senate on March 18. Approved by the House (131-19 vote) on April 27 and sent to the governor. Signed by the governor on June 4. Took effect July 1. Latest action: After a one-month delay in writing tickets, enforcement began Aug. 1. (Murphy)
HB 23: Would prohibit drivers with restricted licenses who are under 18 from using wireless devices such as cell phones and texting units. Fines up to $150 plus possible license suspension. If driver is found at fault in an accident, fine would double and license would be suspended. Approved by the Georgia House on March 12, 2009, but stalled in the Senate after a second reading in March 2009. “Recommitted” in Senate as of Jan. 11, 2010. Approved by the Senate (47-0 vote) on April 27. Signed into law by the governor on June 4. Went into effect July 1. Latest action: After a one-month postponement, enforcement began Aug. 1, 2010. (Ramsey)
More 2010 session legislation:
HB 938: Would restrict all drivers from text messaging. Drivers under 18 also prohibited from using cell phones while driving. Fines $50 to $100 plus two points. If driver is found at fault in an accident while texting, fine would double and license would be suspended. Under-18 drivers would lose license for 90 days on first offense, then six months. Directs law officers to note use of wireless communications on accident form. Approved by the House on March 26 in a 134-31 vote. (Peake)
Georgia House Bill 945: Would outlaw use of cell phones and related texting devices by all drivers while operating a motor vehicle on state roads and highways. Fines up to $300. (Amerson)
HB 944: Would prohibit drivers from texting and emailing. Fines up to $300. (Amerson)
HB 940: Limits students’ use of electronic devices, including cell phones, while on a school bus. Drivers are already barred from using cell phones. This bill’s main target is bullying. (Hugley)
SB 306: Exempts hands-free devices such as Bluetooth headsets from the state law prohibiting use of headphones while driving. Passed by the full Senate on Jan. 28, 2010. (Heath)
SB 327: Sseeks a ban on text messaging and using handheld cell phones while driving. Primary enforcement. Fines $175 then up to $500. One driver’s license point, then two. (Thompson, Thomas)
2010 legislation notes:
Enforcement of the Georgia distracted driving laws that went into effect July 1 was delayed until Aug. 1 due to an “administrative decision” by the Georgia Department of Public Safety. Violators are now subject to $150 fines.
Suspense hung over the text messaging and cell phone laws approved by Georgia’s Legislature as the governor fretted over enforcement issues. Safety advocates and students lobbied successfully in the final days of the legislative session for him to sign the bills. Gov. Perdue said June 2 of the SB 360 texting ban: “I’ve got some concerns over the enforceability of that. … None of this business is black and white.”
Rep. Allen Peake, who sponsored similar legislation, said that Perdue had threated a veto but saw the light: “I think you have to look at it from this standpoint. The benefits significantly outweigh the negatives and the concerns about law enforcement.”
State media reported that Perdue cut a deal with lawmakers that his concerns about enforcement would be addressed via new legislation next year. “Therein lies a potential problem,” the Athens Banner-Herald editorialized June 8. “It’s certainly possible that, in addressing Perdue’s concerns, lawmakers could cause additional confusion. … (They) might be well advised to leave well enough alone when it comes to the new law on texting while driving.” (Perdue will not be in office in 2011.)
The successful measure SB 360 also is known as the “Caleb Sorohan Act for Saving Lives by Preventing Texting While Driving,” in memory of a Dahlonega teen killed in a texting-related crash. The bill notes that “virtually every driver in Georgia now possesses” a cell phone.
Rep. Amos Amerson, R-Dahlongea, says he was inspired to file the anti-text messaging Georgia House Bill 944 by friends who lost their grandson in a texting-related accident over the holidays.
Sponsor Sen. Jack Murphy, R-Cumming, said: “My bill started out just to ban teenage texting, but as we went on, we got more feedback from constituents saying, ‘Hey, why doesn’t this apply to adults?’”
A driver who was cited for driving while using a hands-free headset inspired SB 306, which modernizes the Georgia law against the wearing of headphones while operating a motor vehicle. Sponsor Sen. Bill Heath, R-Bremen, saw his bill become the first legislation passed by the Senate in the 2010 session. “Drivers who want to be safe on the road and use hands-free devices should not be penalized for using good judgment,” he said. The law predated widespread use of wireless telecommunications devices.
2009 legislation (inactive)
HB 19: Would create distracted driving penalties for motorists who were using cell phones at the time of an accident, with or without hands-free devices. One-point penalty and up to $500 fine upon conviction. Appears dead.
HB 21: Would ban drivers with learning permits (instructional or provisional) from using cell phone, with or without hands-free devices. One-point penalty upon conviction. No action — see HB 23.
Georgia cell phone/texting legislation notes:
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a teenager or an adult. You’re still dangerous to other people,” says Rep. Amos Amerson, R-Dahlonega, whose HB 945 would ban texting by all drivers regardless of age.
Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, says he’ll “be happy to look at” evidence showing text messaging while driving is dangerous. He plans to focus on property tax issues in 2010.
HB 23, which was approved in the House on a 138-34 vote, calls for fines of $50 to $100 and two points on the offender’s driving record. An accident caused by a teen using a cell phone would result in a loss of license for three months or until the driver turns 18.
HB 23 was sponsored by Reps. Matt Ramsey of Peachtree City, Edward Lindsey of Atlanta and Tom Rice of Norcross (all Republicans). “If the law is enacted and proves successful, it will bolster the case for further efforts to reduce distractions among all drivers,” Ramsey wrote on his legislative blog. Of a ban on handheld cell phones for all drivers, he wrote, “I would not be optimistic it would pass this year.”
Cell law inspiration: Ramsey notes he was run off the road by a high school student talking on a cell phone while driving.
Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, has been a driver of cell phone driver legislation in Georgia. She filed the bills HB 19 and 21 for the 2009 legislative session, but they were not approved. Her HB 174, banning use of cell phones by teen drivers, also failed to become law in 2007.
Georiga’s law preventing school bus drivers from using cell phone while on the road was enacted in August 2007.
Hello
Ten years ago, I was in a head-on collision with a pick-up truck while driving back to Auburn University. As a result of the car wreck, I was Traumatically Brain injured and was in a coma. Unfortunately, it was due to distracted driving. I had a 50-50 chance to live and had to re-learn everything. I had to under go years of physical, occupational and speech therapy at Shepherd Center. I was a Junior at Auburn when the crash occurred. It took me an extra 3 years, but I finally graduated! Recently, I was fortunate enough to receive help by NuTEQ Solutions creating a PSA on the dangers of distracted driving as well as starting my own non-profit motivational speaking company called A Second Later. All in effort to eliminate distracted driving. Another one of my PSAs was nominated for the Southeastern Emmy’s I spoke at a mock traffic crash given to high school. I also talked to the Legislators about passing a hands-free bill. I will talk to anyone to help promote the message about how dangerous and deadly distracted driving can be!
PSA-Motivational speaking company
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/iafrcgxn67l6q7g/AADA1WLZkJV_fLZs7K2AFfPLa?dl=0
PSA Nominated for Southeast Emmys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO1dKs3yZQw
other videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe64gyLjrBs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQnMkWPkzWQ&t=134s
I’m so sorry to hear of your incident and I pray you continue to get better. I agree with you more than words could ever say! I see too many careless drivers who are on the phone and could have cause an accidents for other people. It sadden me that people who find it so important or should I say, more important to be on the phone and putting other people’s lives in danger. I am glad of the new law and support it. My prayers are with you and anyone else that has been a victim due to other people who just don’t care and don’t have respect for other people … period.
No one should be holding a mobile device when driving … period. I don’t see why all States haven’t made it law yet. Often employers are making their employees use mobile devices when driving and it’s very dangerous. The law would help to protect those employees from employers who simply don’t care if they die in a car wreck.
I believe no one should text. Or talk on a cell phone no matter your age. As a truck driver it takes all our ability to scan 180 degree around us. Because I have to drive my truck and all cars around me. I have to figure what stupid move the cars around me. With their cells pressed to there head are doing next. I seen a women driving in Dallas Texas with her feet and texting. The safest years was when you had to pull off the rd to find a pay phone. I have seen road rage because some one jumped in front of some one while they were texting and broke there cont. because they forgot where they were. Just a thought from a old trucker of twenty four years driving. And never texted or talked while driving. Waited till I stopped. Amazing what you can see when you don’t.
Okay, wow, most of these comments are just awful. Inexperienced teens should NOT be aloud to talk on the phone and drive. Why risk it, when you’re putting other peoples’ lives at risk?!?!
i think those kind of laws should apply based upon your driving record
Texting while driving is so bad …. so DO NOT do it okay?! What ever it is CAN WAIT..
I recently got into heated discussion with 2 teenagers re: cell phone usage for Ga. Please settle this:
Under what circumstance would any branch of law enforcement stop a vehicle for cell phone use? Ex. if you have your phone out in your hand putting in the phone number could you be ticketed for cell phone use?
Could the officer ask to see your cell phone to see if you were texting or dialing/talking?
Is dialing your phone number the same as texting as far as being ticketed?
Can someone show the driver (adult 64 yr old) a picture on their phone that happens to be on the internet? Would it matter if it was on their pictures VS internet
A while back my wife got pulled over for illegal use of a communication device at a red light (in GA). She uses her cellphone alarm clock to wake up the kids and it was going off. It even went off while the office was giving her the fine, proving her point. It so happened that she also did not have her license on her (rush job to get kids to school after missing the bus).
Fine for switching of phone alarm: $150. Fine for driving without a license: $19. Go figure.
Allow me to explain why the law only applies to the “under 18” crowd. The simple fact is they don’t vote. Politicians can’t antagonize the people that can retaliate by voting them out of office. Instead they sock it to the people that can’t vote. Do you think they will ever pass laws targeting senior citizens. Don’t you think that at some age, say 100, a driver should be retested? Never happen. Seniors vote!
Any type of cell phone use should be outlawed. This will save so many lives and injuries. I can’t believe what I see on the road with these drivers in cell phone comas here in Georgia. No wonder nobody here uses turning signals. It’s because they all have one hand on the phone and one on the wheel. They would have to grow a third arm and hand in order to signal as a courtesy and lett the other guy know what they are about to do. Driving while talking on the phone is as bad as being past the legal limit of alcohol while driving. Georgia, stay off the phone while driving! Pull over and answer or make your call on the side of the road before you kill someone.
I don’t disagree with you except people never used turn signals before cells phone either.
Really brittney? Its obvious your undr 18.
Besides this texting/calling while driving law, which I think is necessary, I think there should be a headlight law as well. I’ve seen way too many people, including the police, driving in the dark or pouring rain without headlights. What’s the deal? It’s not about you seeing what’s ahead, it’s whether or not you can be seen by on coming traffic or a driving turning out in front of you. I just moved here from Europe and it’s so amazing that so many people drive and talk/text and drive without headlights AND don’t use blinkers. Wow!
good news an thanks for this good website
I have lived in N.Y. and now am in GA.,and I have had too many close calls with idiots gabbing on their cell phones.Too many young people in both states because they were talking or texting.I just do not understand what is so important that it can’t wait until you get out of your car.It is dangerous enough on the roads without any other distractions.You really have to drive defensively and keep alert every minute that you are driving.I am 57 years old and have seen the roads getting more and more dangerous.I used to love to travel,but now I am a nervous wreck.I honestly do not know how some of these people got a license.I would love to see legislation that totally bans the use of cell phones while driving banned in every state in the nation.
I highly doubt the total ban on cell phone use will pass because they all use their phones while driving. I’ve seen police on their phones all the time and nearly cause accidents themselves.
It’s all common sense, which has escaped some posters here. DRIVING IS A FULL TIME JOB. No 3500 pound bullet has the right to reach in the french fry bag, apply lipstick, send and receive text messages while operating. Neither does the self-serving person holding the steering wheel. For the 18 y/o who thinks he/she has a right of life…..He/She may have, but their personal agendas do not outweigh public safety. TEXTING WHILE DRIVING SHOULD BE BANNED IN ALL 50 STATES AND THE PENALTY FOR INFRACTIONS SHOULD BE SET HIGH ENOUGH TO COVER COURT COST AND REHAB AND/OR HOSPICE COST FOR RESULTS REQUIRING ONE OR BOTH. Cell phone providers should equally be held accountable as they profit from such behavior. There is no text message important enough for a driver to jeopardize the quality of life to an innocent victim.
You have to drive for everyone around you and try to guess what everyone’s next move might be. You are totally right about it being a full time job. I don’t have an issue myself with texting and driving however I used to talk on the phone while driving until I hung up the phone and couldn’t remember getting to where I was headed. I sat for a second thinking about how dangerous that was. Now when my phone rings and I’m driving I just let it ring. Whoever it was calling can wait.
Okay. I’m actually in a field that studies the effect of cell phone talking while driving. Yes, there is quantifiable evidence that talking on the phone significantly reduces your ability to drive. I’ve read one study (on college students) that it’s about the same as having four beers. Just like most people can’t recognize when they’ve had too much and shouldn’t drive, you don’t notice how much of your attention is taken away from the road. Your brain compensates by processing less of the information your senses receive. Why this is different from listening to the radio or talking to somebody in person is a matter of debate. Hands free sets also help none or very little.
These laws also help establish liability in the event of an accident, so it’s not just about catching people in the act.
The problem isn’t texting, it’s the fact that the average person is a f****** moron and is paying more attention to something other than the road. I can easily text while driving and still pay lots more attention to the road than I am my phone. I’m capable of doing that because I realize that I’m on the road and I take a much longer time to text and focus on the phone only during periods where me not having my eyes on the road for a second (ie. not in a curve, right beside another driver, etc) and take less time during those periods than even using my car’s radio takes me.
If you want to make the roads safer, banning actions that can be done safely isn’t the way you do it. Actually trying to teach people to be smart (something our school systems still aren’t focused on cause they are too busy making sure you aren’t cheating when the average person isn’t even smart enough to cheat very well) and think about the situation and ask themselves “if something happens the moment my eyes leave the road will I have enough time to react safely when my eyes get back to the road?”. If the answer is anything other than yes then that person needs to wait until the conditions change before doing anything other than driving (this includes changing the radio, eating, whatever)
In reply to: “Ds on July 2nd: Why cant people under 18 cant talk on phone if we use had free what big deal we have life just like people over 18”
Cause younger drivers haven’t been driving for as long as everyone else and don’t have as much experience, and this is coming from someone who is 22 and doesn’t like talking on the phone while driving. Honestly I think it all should be not allowed, I see crazy people driving crazy and I look, they are on their phone, I see people stopping for green lights, on their phone. I think it should be done in congested cities where traffic is heavy and on eways.
Why cant people under 18 cant talk on phone if we use had free what big deal we have life just like people over 18
Has no one considered the vast possibilities for the abuse of this legislation? I don’t think anyone can truly deny the dangerousness of DWT, but the question is truly whether or not this specific legislation tackles that problem effectively. The answer, is no.
Unlike talking on a cell-phone, which is typically done in plain view with a person holding the device directly to their ear, texting is primarily done closer to the lap or near the bottom of the steering wheel. This means it will most often NOT be within the view of a cruising police officer.
Common sense might tell us that “we know when someone is texting or not” – and that might be so. But as if already corrupt police officers need ANOTHER phantom reason to easily pull someone over hoping to violate their rights enough to pin a charge on them (preferably one with a hefty fine), here we have one more instance where officers are free to claim they “thought” someone was texting and pulled them over “just to be safe.” In fact even if they were not, it won’t stop them from making that stop WORTH IT. To assume this will not happen is just naive, and to claim that it’s worth it to institute perceived “safety measures,” even if that means throwing away our rights NOT to be hassled by the authorities is disappointing and downright frightening.
There is truly no reasonable way to police those texting and I guarantee there will be no attempts to police the abuse of those who are supposed to be watching over our texting habits. This is not about whether or not a loved one of yours was injured or killed in such an incident. That is certainly a tragedy, but is not directly relevant to this specific law. A law which does not clearly explain how they define texting and the nature of what police need to see in order to deem worthy a traffic stop.
Do we need to give more and more reasons to police officers to pull us over when they basically don’t need one already? Do we want the natural evolution of such laws to end in random or even scheduled checkpoints every few miles or so (sound like a police-state to you)? Or cameras watching our every move down the highway? If these ideas do not scare you then you need a history lesson more than you need this law to be enacted.
Its amazing how many people are upset over Banning under 18yo’s from using cellphones. It’s based on driving experience. Someone under the age of 18 has at least 2yrs driving experiences if that and by having them be on a cellphone just adds more danger. I don’t see the big deal, wait till you’re 19yo and use your phone. They’re trying to deter accidents and every teen thinks they’re the best driver on the road which is annoying enough.
They’re not going to randomly pull teens over, but if you get in an accident and you were on your phone and you’re under 18yo say goodbye to your licenses.
If an emergency occurs, just pull off the road in a safe place and make your call. Common sense. That’s another reason to enforce this law.
This is a good thing. Drivers under the age of 18 do not have enough driving experience. They should give 100% attention to driving. It is true that older drivers might have an accident, but they are less likely because of experience.
@ Kim… If road rage, DUI etc is observed by a teen driver, it would make sense to pull over and make the call to the police. Just because someone else is reckless does not justify a teen’s use of texting and driving. A level of maturity and common sense should guide one to pull over and make the call.
@ Justin … Teen drivers are not experienced drivers as the 21, 30 or 60yo, but I do agree that banning texting while driving should be across the board.
So, if someones driving under the influence or you see extremely bad road rage, someone driving up the wrong side of the road, etc. and the 18 yr. olds and under have to just watch this take place, because they can’t call the police or state trooper. Man this sounds kindof wrong.
Banning anyone under 18 from using a cell phone is an absurd notion. Someone who’s 21, 30, or even 60 can just as easily cause an accident while talking on the phone. This part of the law should be thrown out as it unfairly pegs teenagers as the cause of cell phone related accidents.
This article is confusing. It states:
“Text messaging banned for all drivers. Fines of $150. (effective July 1)
Drivers under the age of 18 prohibited from using cell phones, regardless of whether a hands-free device is attached. Also bans computer use. Fines of $150. (effective July 1)”
Which is it???? Banned for ALL drivers or only drivers under 18???
Here is an excerpt from one of our state reps (macon). If texting while driviing is more dangerous than driving drunk, why doesn’t the punishment fit the crime!
“There are studies that clearly show that texting while driving is a greater distraction than even if you were legally drunk,” Peake said. “You think about that for a while – with all those citizens out there, they’re a whole lot more dangerous than a road full of drunks.”
I think this is bullsh*t if you are going ban the use of cell phones for anyone under 18, they should ban it for all people. Then how are they going to be able to inforce this??? Cops cant pull over every teenager they see on their phone. If you want to ban cell phones and texting fine, but just do it for alll people. NOT just one group.
To support Texting for drivers would also support texters who abuse and misuse the English Langauage.
This maybe the reason why accidents take place during texting, because the conversation in writing short or them breaking words up are not understood by the texters. The texter gets stuck mentally and forget what is actually happening. They make the choice of not being a safe driver.
Please take texting away. Thank you.
I would like to comment on the cell phone law.
NO ONE should text and drive.
November 1, 2009 my husband was involved in an accident caused by an 18 year old using his cell phone. Result: one man dead, my husbands leg will never be the same, and the 18 year old’s life is ruined, he is going to prison.
I agree people should not text and drive. I also do not see how police can drive safely and have a laptop computer right in their face.
i think people under 18 shold be able to if they want