Distracted Driving is a huge topic of discussion nowadays and not just the law enforcement arena. It is something on the minds of all of us. Accidents with injuries and fatalities on roadways are rising all over the world and are attributed to be caused by drivers who are distracted.
The definition of distracted driving from Dictionary.com is “the practice of driving a motor vehicle while engaged in another activity, typically one that involved the use of a mobile phone of other electronic device.” This can include everything from talking or texting on your phone, eating, drinking, fiddling around with your radio or navigational system, putting on makeup, reaching to pick something up and even reading a book!
Law enforcement has seen it all and cannot stress enough how important it is for drivers to fully pay attention while traveling on the road. The saying that ‘I only took my eyes off the road for just a moment’ takes on a new connotation when you look at the latest reports from AAA and NHTSA.
Distracted Driving laws have already been put on the books in some states in the U.S. and are continuing to be put into place in others to help assist officers better with enforcing distracted driving. In Georgia starting July 1st, drivers are not allowed to physically touch their phone while driving. A person can send a text hands-free, using a phone’s voice-to-text feature, but drivers are not allowed to reply.
The new law also includes things such as drivers are not allowed to watch or record videos and do anything with their music apps while driving. This law is called the Hands-Free Georgia Act and law enforcement is not going to joke around about enforcing it. Garrett Townsend, director of public affairs for AAA in Georgia is hoping this will reduce the number of accidents on the state’s highways. Townsend states:
“The 15 states that have passed hands-free driving laws saw a 16 percent decrease in traffic fatalities in the two years after the law was passed,” the agency said. “In addition, traffic fatalities were reduced even further in subsequent years.”
Laser Technology has long been an advocate for making our highways safe and invented the first laser speed device in 1991. We are dedicated to providing law enforcement with laser devices to assist in applications such as speed enforcement, tailgating, and distracted driving.
Read full article about the Hands-Free Georgia Act.
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