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Georgia roadway fatalities in 2019 drop after hands-free law enacted

The Hands-Free Georgia Act was signed in 2018 by then-Gov. Nathan Deal to curb distracted driving.

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) 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.”

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Denny Jacob

Denny Jacob

Denny Jacob is an associate editor for NU PropertyCasualty360. Contact him at [email protected]

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