Distracted driving: What’s allowed and what isn’t?
With the governor’s signature, House Bill 673 will make holding a phone while driving illegal.
Following the end of the General Assembly’s 40-day legislative session last week, Gov. Nathan Deal has at his desk a bill that would make holding a phone while driving illegal in Georgia.
House Bill 673, authored by Rep. John Carson, R-Northeast Cobb, seeks to curb distracted driving by prohibiting the use of cellphones without a hands-free device. Rep. Eddie Lumsden, R-Armuchee, cosponsored the bill and worked to promote its passage.
Drivers could still talk on the phone and use their navigation programs, but their phones would need to be mounted to the windshield or dashboard, not in their hands. If signed into law by Deal, Georgia would become the 16th state to implement such a measure.
Texting and watching or recording videos would be illegal and all phone calls would need to be made with the use of a speaker or headset. The cities of Smyrna and Marietta have approved similar ordinances, but those are on hold pending Deal’s decision on signing the bill.
The measure bounced back and forth between the House and Senate chambers over the course of the session as lawmakers labored over appropriate punishments for first offenders.
The final bill caps fines for firsttime offenders at $50, but drivers could avoid a penalty by showing up to court with proof that they have since purchased a hands-free device. Fines would increase for repeat violators. Carson said state law enforcement would likely grant offenders a 90-day grace period by issuing warnings instead of citations if his measure is signed into law. But local law enforcement could decide to enforce penalties sooner.