Don’t Text and Drive- General Driver Safety
Smart phones have become part of our every day life. They keep us connected, informed, and entertained, and often we feel lost without them! While they have their place in our modern life, it is important to remember that they present many dangers to those behind the wheel. Texting while driving has become a serious issue, especially among our youth, which is why many states have put new laws in place to prevent texting while driving and keep our roads safe.
In 2010, Georgia lawmakers passed a law [Georgia Code Title 40-6-241.2], that makes it is illegal to write, read or send text messages while operating a motor vehicle.
In the code, the term “wireless communications device” means a cellular telephone, a text messaging device, a personal digital assistant, a stand alone computer, or any other substantially similar wireless device that is used to initiate or receive a wireless communication with another person.[1]
It’s important to note that Georgia law [Georgia Code, Title 40-6-241.1]
also prohibits anyone under age 18 who holds a learner’s permit or Class D license from any type of wireless communication while driving.
Georgia driving laws concerning texting while driving are in place for your safety and the safety of those on the road with you! Why? According to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), texting while driving makes you 23x more likely to crash[2], and causes over 1.1 million crashes per year in the U.S[3]. With the average time to read a text hovering around 5 seconds, if you were traveling at 55 mph, this would mean you would drive the length of an entire football field without even looking.
Tips to Help Discourage Texting & Driving:
Please take this issue seriously, because it is not worth risking your or anyone else’s life over a simple text message. We hope you will make a commitment to NEVER text and drive, and consider signing our Don’t Text & Drive Pledge.
If you think your phone may cause distraction for you while driving, consider downloading one of the many smartphone apps that help prevent texting while driving. Some apps block texting while driving, and others encourage you to drive safer.
Drive Safe Mode (For Android™ and iOS)
SafeDrive (For Android™ and iOS)
To learn more safe driving practices, take a look at some of our safe driver videos and downloadable materials. Remember your actions behind the wheel impact you, your passengers and other drivers around you: Please Don’t Text & Drive. Emails and texts can wait!
For more information regarding state laws in Georgia, click here:
http://ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/bystate/ga.html
Additional Sources:
Governor’s Highway Safety Association
NHTSA: Distracted Driving Research
Other Resources