Reports Released Regarding Georgia Hands Free Violations After First Year of New Law

Reports out of Gwinnett County are not looking good as numbers came in over the past year of the amount of hands free violation tickets was released.

According to authorities, over 5,300 citations for hands free violations were written by officers in the county. Moreover, the Georgia State Patrol has reported close to 25,000 citations written statewide which adds up to about 68 tickets a day.

As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I write about charges of DUI in Georgia most of the time. However, there are other offenses that can lead to a DUI charge. Typically unless stopped at a Georgia DUI Checkpoint, an accused DUI driver was pulled over for a different traffic violation.

As of last year on July 1st, many times that violation is a hands violation.

In today's post, I will outline the law behind texting while driving in Georgia, also known as distracted driving which is outlined by the Georgia Hands Free Law.

Distracted Driving in Georgia

Distracted driving in Georgia has been changed since July 1, 2018. The Hands Free Law took effect and added the following provisions:

• Drivers cannot have a phone in their hand or touching any part of their body while talking on their phone while driving.
• Even with hands-free technology, drivers cannot write, read or send text messages, e-mails, social media content and other internet data while on the road.
• Drivers cannot watch videos when they are on the road. 
• Drivers cannot use their phones or electronic devices to record video when they are on the road.
• Drivers may listen to streaming music that does not include videos on the screen of their phone or device while driving but cannot touch their phones while on the road to activate or program any music streaming app. 
• Streaming music that is controlled by and listened through the vehicle's radio is allowed. 
• Drivers who need to touch their phones to activate/program their music streaming apps must do so before getting on the road.

The fine for a first conviction is $50.00 and 1 point assessed against the driver's license.  The fine is $100.00 and 2 points for a second conviction and $150.00 and 3 points for three or more conviction.  The fines for a 2nd or 3rd offense only apply when date of a 2nd or 3rd conviction takes place within 24 months of the date of the first conviction.  First time offenders can have the charge dropped by showing the court they have obtained a device that allows them to talk on a phone with hands-free technology or devices.  

Practice Note

If you or a loved one has been arrested, contact a Georgia DUI Attorney today. We can help you with your DUI as well as any other charges involved in your case.