GEORGIA HANDS FREE LAW
Remember back on July 1, 2018 when the widely publicized Georgia ‘Hands Free Law’ (Or distracted driving law) took effect? Essentially this law states that you, for the most part cannot manually talk on, hold, or interact with a phone while operating a motorized vehicle unless you use the vehicle’s bluetooth or bluetooth enabled aftermarket devices. Drivers can no longer have their phone in their hand or support it by any part of their body while utilizing it. Even with the benefit of newer hands-free technology, drivers cannot write, read, or send text messages, emails, etc. Also among other new rules, drivers can still listen to music with their phone but they must program their playlists before they get on the road. More on the Hands Free Law HERE. While this new legislation does seem a bit restrictive to most drivers, it is starting to become one of the best examples of Georgia law representation that is truly designed to benefit and protect all residents and travelers. Nice job, Georgia!
Check out what Atlanta Police Officer, Sheldon Herbert has to say about the Hands Free Law.
DMV STATS
Not much has surfaced in the media since this new smart law took effect, but after a quick fact finding mission we’ve uncovered some pretty amazing stats to share. In just the first three months since the Hands Free Law was instated, Georgia’s traffic fatalities fell by 127 when compared to 2017. While this stat can’t be fully attributed to the new law, the numbers don’t lie and any reduction of this magnitude is a huge step in the right direction to making Georgia a safer place to live. Along with this staggering number Georgia is also seeing a drastic reduction in automobile accidents and insurance claims, which of course benefit everyone with a commute or an auto insurance premium. In just ONE MONTH motor vehicle accidents were down by a whopping 8.9% and continue to decline.
HANDS FREE LAW SOLUTIONS
For those non-Georgia natives traveling in state this holiday season, be sure to cradle those phones while passing through our great state. To help with this, we’ve found one ingenious way to stay within the law while having the ability to use such apps as Waze and Google Maps. This nifty little holder SEEN HERE on Amazon.com fits right in to the CD changer (If you still have one of those) and can be angled upward toward the front seat occupants. The best part is, you can pick one up for usually less than $10 which beats getting fined and dinged for points on your record ($50 and 1 point first offense, $100 and 2-3 points for repeat offenses).
Stay safe out there Georgia and remember, we are all in this together so look out for each other – especially during this busy holiday season.