As the state's traffic crashes became more frequent and severe, law enforcement efforts were "unenforceable" because they couldn't determine whether a driving "is texting or simply dialing a telephone number." (Photo: Shutterstock)
Distracted driving is a pervasive problem throughout the United States, and various states have enacted their own measures to tackle the issue. In Georgia, where fatal crashes increased at three times the national average, the Hands-Free Georgia Act was signed in 2018 by then-Gov. Nathan Deal to curb distracted driving.
After going into effect on July 1, 2018, the law virtually closed all loopholes and prohibited any cellphone use in a driver's hand. Even with hands-free technology, "drivers cannot write, read or send text messages, emails, social media content and other internet data while on the road."
As a result, the annual fatality trend on Georgia's roadways in 2019 currently sits at 348, down from 1,514 in 2018, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.
Continue Reading for Free
Register and gain access to:
- Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.