New Tougher Cellphone Law Designed to Save Lives, Says GOHS Harris Blackwood

A new law putting tighter restrictions on the use of cell phones while driving is now on the Governor’s desk awaiting his signature.

Last week, the Georgia General Assembly passed House Bill 673, which would prohibit drivers from holding their phones to make call, read or send texts or for any other activity.

Harris Blackwood is with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

Blackwood says this new law is designed to toughen the current law that forbids texting while driving.

“The reason we did this is because it makes the texting and driving portion of that more enforceable,” Blackwood explained. “What we’re trying to do is get people to have both hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road. We believe this new law will accomplish those things.”

Other things that are forbidden in the new law include watching videos, TV or a movie on your cellphone while driving and reaching for a device if it means having to get out of your seat to retrieve it.

The law also applies to iPods, iPads, tablets and other similar devices.

Blackwood said however cellphone use is still allowed while driving under certain conditions.

“They can have a hands-free mode on the phone or they can use a Bluetooth ear device in one ear. However, the other ear has to be free so the driver can hear sirens and ambulances and that sort of thing. You can still make a phone call. Many of the new phones have voice commands so you can tell the phone to call a certain person and it will dial that number for you,”  Blackwood said.

Excluded from the law include such things as using GPS apps, wearing or using a smart watch, using a bluetooth earpiece, as well as using CB radios, commercial two-way radios, emergency communication devices, prescribed medical devices, and amateur or ham radios .

Blackwood said since smartphones became popular, there has been increase in motor vehicle accidents on Georgia roadways.

“We’ve seen an increasing number of single-vehicle crashes or crashes where someone strikes the rear-end of a vehicle and they never touch the brakes because they’re looking at their cellphone screens and they don’t see the vehicle ahead of them until the impact is about to happen,” Blackwood explained. “We’ve had people who have been severely injured or killed in those types of accidents.”

Blackwood noted states where they have put in the hands-free law, they’ve seen a significant reduction in the number of accidents and fatalities.

The Governor has 42 days to sign House Bill 673 into law, but he is expected to do so.