Texting While Driving Bans, State by State

Posted on June 20, 2013 by georgiatrafficlawyer

Texting while driving laws aren’t just for teens any more. 41 states in the U.S. have banned the potentially fatal practice altogether, 6 states have partial bans in effect with the remaining 3, including Arizona, Montana and South Carolina having no ban in effect at all.

As for cell phone use, talking on a hand held cell phone while driving is prohibited in 11 states and there are laws that restrict novice drivers from cell phone usage altogether in 37 states. Visit  http://ow.ly/melGY for a map of the U.S. with a summary of each states laws.

Although texting while driving is against the law in so many states, its tough to enforce these laws for now but based on the dangers involved in doing this dirty deed, Attorney Scott Fortas  advises that at some point this may change and ticketing could become easier for law enforcement officers that catch offenders.

Remember that text or email can wait 5 minutes; or pull off the road into and do your texting while the car is in a parked position.

More about Georgia Traffic Laws.

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VA Bill Enforcing Tougher Texting While Driving Penalties Passes

Posted on February 20, 2013 by georgiatrafficlawyer

VA Bill Toughens Texting While Driving Penalties

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Texting While Driving Prevails Even In States Where Its Illegal

Posted on February 12, 2013 by georgiatrafficlawyer

How many lives must be lost over a distracted driver too busy typing a text message to really pay attention to the road and other drivers? Seems our fast paced society doesn’t allow for an uninterrupted, totally focused drive wherein the “smart” phone is used just for talking rather than texting or emailing. As the use of smart phones grows with each passing day, so too does the threat to the safety of those who continue this dangerous practice and endangers those who be driving next to or near someone who is doing it, thus, “driver beware!”

One Nebraska teen told her story before legislators in hopes of strengthening enforcement of these laws which is an issue. The hope is that more severe penalties would be threatened to those who violate the laws in an effort to thwart this dangerous form of distracted driving and save lives of drivers of all ages.

Stronger Texting and Driving Law Enforcement Needed

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Distracted Driving -The “It Won’t Happen to Me Excuse”

Posted on October 29, 2012 by georgiatrafficlawyer

According to a recent article in the News Observer in Blue Ridge GA, even though all texting while driving is prohibited in Georgia, there are those still willing to violate the new law and they can be seen frequently on the roads, holding the phone low in their laps attempting to drive and text in an even more compromising position. You may have even thought to yourself, “I am just going to take my eyes off the road for a second and sent a one word reply, it won’t happen to me!”

Guess again. According to Kansas City attorney Doug Horn, a national distracted driving expert, “Because of the severe force of impact, distracted drivers are potentially more deadly than drunk drivers, who, even with their slowed reaction time, sometimes manage to partially brake and lessen the impact of the collision.” And Horn adds that running red lights (or stop signs) at full speed, swerving into oncoming traffic and rear-ending stopped vehicles are the three types of behavior resulting from distracted driving that are causing the most severe injuries and fatalities.

You can read the remainder of the article by visiting this site .

Though we tend to think teens and under 21 drivers  in GA are the major offenders, apparently many business men and women in older demographics are attempting to respond to emails and conduct business while behind the wheel. Its hard to break the cycle, especially if a parent is advocating young adults stop texting while driving, while continuing the ill fated practice.

Just stop. It can wait. Taking your eyes off the road to read ANYTHING is dangerous. The life you save may well be your own.

 

 

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Georgia’s No Texting and Driving Law – Could It Have Dangerous Consequences?

Posted on September 3, 2012 by georgiatrafficlawyer

As of August 31st, Ohio became the 39th state to officially ban texting while driving. For the next 6 months however, drivers caught texting while driving will only receive warnings. Georgia passed its no texting and driving law back in 2010, and police have issued some citations but is the law effective at doing what it is supposed to do? A survey done back in 2010 by the Highway Loss Data Institute found that in 2 out of 3 states with no texting and driving laws in place, accidents actually increased rather than decreased. The reason for this appears to be that drivers are now lowering their phones into their laps to read or send email, or text, meaning that their focus is taken even further off the road than before the laws were passed.

Key to issuing citations is the need for an officer to catch an offending driver in the act and that can be difficult. Drivers can offer to show their phones to the officer to prove they didn’t violate the law but most are not forthcoming and the office ends up issuing a warning for lack of evidence. It easy enough to stick your phone away when you get pulled over. What would it take to stop texting or any other distracted driving behavior that involves a mobile device? Its teenagers who tend to be the worst offenders but what would it take to stop this practice for our most vulnerable drivers, Georgia teen drivers, those with the least experience? Perhaps if the penalties were more severe and a teen could incur license suspension or very high fines it might help save lives.

Feel free to post your comments below.

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Georgia Texting and Driving Law Difficult to Enforce

Posted on August 7, 2012 by georgiatrafficlawyer

Two years ago, Georgia enacted laws intended to stop drivers from texting while driving in an effort to stop the practice before any additional lives were lost. The reality of the matter is that though the law was proactive and Georgia was one of the first states in the country to actually do something about stopping this dangerous practice, enforcing the law is not easy. Since the law states its illegal to “operate a motor vehicle on any public road or highway of this state while using a wireless telecommunications device to write, send, or read any text based communication, including but not limited to, a text message, instant message, email or Internet data”, basically any action with the phone other than hands free phone calling is prohibited.

But why have so few citations been issued to date?

Find out more about GA’s driving laws.

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