Georgia hands free driving

The do’s and don’t of the new Georgia hands free driving law

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Via Heads Up Georgia, details about what you will and will not be able to do with an electronic device in your car, starting July 1. The law was sponsored by Northeast Cobb Republican John Carson, who recently clarified that there won’t be a grace period to begin enforcement.Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety, Georgia hands free driving law

From the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (which has a countdown to the enactment of the new law), here are the penalties for violations and where you can read the entire law.

More below from Cobb Police:

Distracted driving was found to be the leading cause of accidents. Recently House Bill 673 (Hands Free/Distracted Driver Law) was passed and will take effect July 1st to help with this issue.

The new law states that you cannot support any wireless device with any part of your body. This means that you:

  1. CANNOT hold it in your hand
  2. CANNOT lay it in your lap
  3. CANNOT hold it against your ear with your shoulder

Additionally, the law addresses further uses of the phone while driving:

  1. You CANNOT watch or record a video
  2. You CANNOT type, send, or read any text based communication

You MAY use your phone if legally parked. This does not include stopped at a light or stop sign, only legally parked in areas such as parking lots or driveways.

You MAY use your phone as GPS but you MUST set it up before you begin driving and are legally parked. If you need to change your route, you must be legally parked.

Important things to remember:

  1. Citizens may handle an electronic device while driving if they are: Reporting a traffic accident, medical emergency, fire, crime, delinquent act, or hazardous road condition.
  2. Law enforcement officers are exempt from the law as long as they are performing their official duties.

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State Rep. John Carson: No grace period for enforcing new Georgia hands free law

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State Rep. John Carson, a Republican from Northeast Cobb who was the primary sponsor of Georgia’s new hands free law that takes effect July 1, sent this message out today:State Rep. John Carson, Georgia hands-free law

ATLANTA – State Representative John Carson (R-Marietta) today clarified that Georgia drivers may utilize music streaming applications and that there will not be a set enforcement grace period after House Bill 673, the Hands-Free Georgia Act, takes effect on July 1, 2018. Rep. Carson sponsored HB 673 during the 2018 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly, and Governor Nathan Deal recently signed this measure into law to create a hands-free driving law in Georgia. 

“According to recent data, we believe the public awareness of this new law is already saving lives,” said Rep. Carson. “We encourage all Georgians to implement the best practices stated in the Hands-Free Georgia Act prior to July 1, 2018, for the safety of all commuters on Georgia’s roadways.”

According to a recent press release from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, drivers can listen to music streaming apps on their phone while driving under the new law, but they cannot activate their apps or change music through their phone while driving. Music streaming apps that are programmed and controlled through the vehicle’s radio system are allowed. However, music streaming apps that have video are not allowed since the law specifically prohibits drivers from watching videos.

Additionally, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, the Georgia Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement officers recently reminded Georgia drivers that the law does not contain a 90-day grace period for enforcement. Many officers will be issuing warnings for violations in the first months of the law as part of the education effort, but citations can and will be issued starting July 1 where law enforcement officers believe they are warranted, especially those violations that involve traffic crashes.

This new hands-free driving law will prohibit drivers from holding or supporting a wireless telecommunication device or a stand-alone electronic device while operating a vehicle. Additionally, this measure will maintain the ban on texting, emailing and internet browsing while driving, but will also prohibit watching or recording videos while driving. GPS navigation and voice-to-text features will still be permitted.

For more information on HB 673, please click here.

 

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