Sheriff Gives Information on Georgia’s New Hands-Free Cell Phone Law...

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed a bill into law dealing with handling cell phones and other devices while driving in the state of Georgia, which will become active on July 1st, 2018.  I want to make you aware of the new Georgia law, because we have a large number of Cherokee County citizens who work or travel frequently in Georgia.  Under the new law, a person cannot operate a motor vehicle while operating a cell phone, holding a cell phone with your hand, or supporting a cell phone with any other part of your body in Georgia.  Additionally, a person may not read, write, or send any text based communication, and a person cannot watch or record a video.  The law includes all cell phones, personal digital assistants, computers, global positioning system navigation devices, and any other device used for communication or that stores audio or video files. Exceptions under the Georgia law include in-car voice based communication and navigation systems. Again, this new law goes into effect in Georgia on July 1st.

 

I’d like to remind you under Alabama law it is illegal to text and drive. Texting and driving is one of the most dangerous forms of distracted driving.  On average, nine people die everyday in the United States because of a distracted driver. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 3,477 people killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2015.  I encourage you not to be distracted by cell phones and other devices in order to keep yourself, your loved ones, and others on the roadway safe.