Georgia drivers will get a temporary reprieve from tough enforcement of the state's new law that bans texting while driving. Although that law went into effect on July 1, police state that their initial focus in the immediately upcoming weeks will be light on ticketing and heavy on public education. August 1 marks the date from which the State Patrol will routinely take enforcement action against violators.
Patrol officers will be "very compassionate" until that date, says State Patrol Commanding Officer Maj. Mark McDonough, citing the need for both the public and state troopers to get a better feel for the law and requirements.
The law specifically bars adults from texting while driving; the ban is the same for drivers under the age of 18, with the added exaction that they are also barred from talking on phones at all when behind the wheel.
McDonough cites a particularly tough challenge for troopers, namely, assessing whether a driver is a teenager from observing a moving vehicle. A trooper will now have to be especially observant "in order to develop the reason why he pulls them over."
The penalties associated with texting or talking while driving are not insignificant. A driver found guilty of either faces a $150 fine and a point added to his or her driver's license.
In addition to the texting and talking law, a second traffic law that requires pickup drivers and passengers to wear seat belts also takes effect on August 1. Georgia is the last state in the country to end this safety-belt exemption for pickup drivers. McDonough applauds the change, stating that it could result in as many as 100 fewer deaths annually on Georgia roadways.
Related Resource: Atlanta Journal Constitution "State patrol waiting til Aug. 1 to target texting drivers" July 1, 2010
