Oh yeah....no texting while driving takes effect in GA July 1
07-02-10, 08:28 AM
#1
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Oh yeah....no texting while driving takes effect in GA July 1
Now I have stated here I do not endorse texting and driving and I rarely did it BEFORE this law was passed. There are times when its easier to send a text to someone in the car if I'm running late/behind somewhere.
Not sure how they are going to enforce this either.....sigh...
Not sure how they are going to enforce this either.....sigh...
Texting while driving ban starts today in Georgia
By PHILLIP RAMATI - pramati@macon.com
Allen Peake hopes to deliver a clear message to drivers on Georgia’s roads.
Peake, a state representative from Macon, has been a key supporter of two pieces of legislation that become law today: House Bill 23, which bans all 16- and 17-year-old drivers from using any electronic device while driving, except in the case of an emergency; and Senate Bill 360, which bans texting for all Georgia drivers.
AT&T has several resources about safe driving, as well as a pledge that parents and teen drivers can sign encouraging them not to text and drive. Visit www.att.com/txtngcanwait or www.facebook.com/ATT.
Peake, R-Macon, said the Senate bill, also known as the Caleb Sorohan Act, was named for a 19-year-old driver who was involved in a car accident because he was texting. He later died. Sorohan’s family pushed the state to come up with a bill banning texting while driving.
“It’s a good day for Georgia drivers,” Peake said Wednesday. “This is a good piece of legislation that will save lives.”
Peake, along with state Reps. Tony Sellier, R-Fort Valley, and Bubber Epps, D-Dry Branch, gathered Wednesday morning at Central Georgia Technical College to get the word out.
The news conference was arranged by AT&T and included several area youth organizations, including the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, D.A.R.E, Big Brothers & Big Sisters and the Mentors Project.
Terry Smith, regional director of AT&T, said it’s important to target young people with the message of safe driving. That’s the basis of AT&T’s program, “TXTNG & DRIVING — It can wait.”
“AT&T launched this on a national level last year,” he said. “Text messaging has increased tenfold in the last three years. Texting behind the wheel has become common.”
Smith said a study conducted by Virginia Tech concluded that drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in a car accident if they are texting.
Drivers found guilty of violating the laws related to texting or talking while driving face a $150 fine and a point added to their driver’s licenses.
In addition, a third traffic safety law — removing the seat belt exemption for pickup drivers — goes into effect today.
Georgia was the last state in the country to end the pickup exemption. The Georgia State Patrol says about 20 percent of fatal vehicle accidents occur in pickup trucks statewide each year, and that in those circumstances, 75 percent of the time people are not wearing seat belts.
Bibb County Sheriff Jerry Modena and Macon Deputy Police Chief Mike Carswell said they expect the roads to become much safer now that the texting and seat belt laws are in effect.
“What (Peake) did from a law enforcement standpoint is very necessary,” Modena said. “There is a different disconnect that takes your attention off the road (while texting). This will save a lot of lives.”
Carswell, who has worked traffic accidents when he was a patrolman, said one of his most difficult duties was talking to family members about someone who died during in an accident.
“Teens and adults must give their full attention to driving,” he said. “This is very important. It comes back to personal responsibility. I think it’s a serious problem. ... I think (the new laws) are a start.”
Modena and Carswell said they didn’t have figures available on the number of vehicle accidents related to texting or cell phones in Bibb County.
Travis Jones, 17, a rising senior at Westside High School, said he texts a lot, but not while driving. However, he said some of his friends and classmates do. He said he didn’t know how many of them will change their habits because of the new law, but he thinks it’s a good idea.
“I think it will save a lot of lives,” said Jones, part of the D.A.R.E. group attending Wednesday’s news conference.
Peake said he used to text while driving until a motorist who passed him on Interstate 16 sent him an e-mail, telling him he was setting a bad example for other Georgians.
“He was right,” Peake told the crowd.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Read more: http://www.macon.com/2010/07/01/1181...#ixzz0sXTq5673
By PHILLIP RAMATI - pramati@macon.com
Allen Peake hopes to deliver a clear message to drivers on Georgia’s roads.
Peake, a state representative from Macon, has been a key supporter of two pieces of legislation that become law today: House Bill 23, which bans all 16- and 17-year-old drivers from using any electronic device while driving, except in the case of an emergency; and Senate Bill 360, which bans texting for all Georgia drivers.
AT&T has several resources about safe driving, as well as a pledge that parents and teen drivers can sign encouraging them not to text and drive. Visit www.att.com/txtngcanwait or www.facebook.com/ATT.
Peake, R-Macon, said the Senate bill, also known as the Caleb Sorohan Act, was named for a 19-year-old driver who was involved in a car accident because he was texting. He later died. Sorohan’s family pushed the state to come up with a bill banning texting while driving.
“It’s a good day for Georgia drivers,” Peake said Wednesday. “This is a good piece of legislation that will save lives.”
Peake, along with state Reps. Tony Sellier, R-Fort Valley, and Bubber Epps, D-Dry Branch, gathered Wednesday morning at Central Georgia Technical College to get the word out.
The news conference was arranged by AT&T and included several area youth organizations, including the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, D.A.R.E, Big Brothers & Big Sisters and the Mentors Project.
Terry Smith, regional director of AT&T, said it’s important to target young people with the message of safe driving. That’s the basis of AT&T’s program, “TXTNG & DRIVING — It can wait.”
“AT&T launched this on a national level last year,” he said. “Text messaging has increased tenfold in the last three years. Texting behind the wheel has become common.”
Smith said a study conducted by Virginia Tech concluded that drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in a car accident if they are texting.
Drivers found guilty of violating the laws related to texting or talking while driving face a $150 fine and a point added to their driver’s licenses.
In addition, a third traffic safety law — removing the seat belt exemption for pickup drivers — goes into effect today.
Georgia was the last state in the country to end the pickup exemption. The Georgia State Patrol says about 20 percent of fatal vehicle accidents occur in pickup trucks statewide each year, and that in those circumstances, 75 percent of the time people are not wearing seat belts.
Bibb County Sheriff Jerry Modena and Macon Deputy Police Chief Mike Carswell said they expect the roads to become much safer now that the texting and seat belt laws are in effect.
“What (Peake) did from a law enforcement standpoint is very necessary,” Modena said. “There is a different disconnect that takes your attention off the road (while texting). This will save a lot of lives.”
Carswell, who has worked traffic accidents when he was a patrolman, said one of his most difficult duties was talking to family members about someone who died during in an accident.
“Teens and adults must give their full attention to driving,” he said. “This is very important. It comes back to personal responsibility. I think it’s a serious problem. ... I think (the new laws) are a start.”
Modena and Carswell said they didn’t have figures available on the number of vehicle accidents related to texting or cell phones in Bibb County.
Travis Jones, 17, a rising senior at Westside High School, said he texts a lot, but not while driving. However, he said some of his friends and classmates do. He said he didn’t know how many of them will change their habits because of the new law, but he thinks it’s a good idea.
“I think it will save a lot of lives,” said Jones, part of the D.A.R.E. group attending Wednesday’s news conference.
Peake said he used to text while driving until a motorist who passed him on Interstate 16 sent him an e-mail, telling him he was setting a bad example for other Georgians.
“He was right,” Peake told the crowd.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Read more: http://www.macon.com/2010/07/01/1181...#ixzz0sXTq5673
07-02-10, 08:34 AM
#2
I followed a guy in a 3-Series on my motorcycle this morning on the 405.
We were riding side by side. I was honking my horn the whole time.
He was texting on his Blackberry. Never looked up. Never even realized that I was honking.
I sorta wanted to get in the car in front of him and hit the brakes...
We were riding side by side. I was honking my horn the whole time.
He was texting on his Blackberry. Never looked up. Never even realized that I was honking.
I sorta wanted to get in the car in front of him and hit the brakes...
07-02-10, 10:29 AM
#3
It easy to do the text-profiling now-slow car, weaving in and out, never looking up, majority are the young drivers. Those are the cars that I behind
enforcing it is a joke, just like the hands-free thing
they should learn from lexus navi system-disabled when the vehicle is moving
enforcing it is a joke, just like the hands-free thing
they should learn from lexus navi system-disabled when the vehicle is moving
07-02-10, 01:37 PM
#5
I doubt it will change much...So. Cal still has a pretty high usage regardless of the law. LOL...if CHP and the local PD's got enough officers just to crack down on cell and text...they'd rake in lots of $$. Torrance did that a bit back...I think it would be amusing if other police agencies did this from time to time to remind people. 
07-02-10, 01:59 PM
#6
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I doubt it will change much...So. Cal still has a pretty high usage regardless of the law. LOL...if CHP and the local PD's got enough officers just to crack down on cell and text...they'd rake in lots of $$. Torrance did that a bit back...I think it would be amusing if other police agencies did this from time to time to remind people.
Last edited by LexusMan77; 07-02-10 at 02:05 PM.
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07-03-10, 09:42 AM
#9
Lexus Fanatic
I agree with the law in principle, but in all practicality, it is unenforceable. If the police worked 24 hours a day, wth 100 times the number of officers they have now, they couldn't even begin to enforce it. Just too many drivers ignoring it. In general, only one age group, from what I've seen, DOES seem to obey it......senoir citizens. It's rare to see really old people yakking on cell-phones or using hand-held devices, at least while driving.....they're sensible enough to know how difficult multi-tasking can be. But young people (and many middle-aged ones as well) simply flout these laws like they don't exist....and there are simply too many of them to enforce it.
07-03-10, 04:58 PM
#10
texting while driving is much harder to catch in the act since texters hold their phones on their laps. catching people not talking handsfree is easier to catch in the act since they hold the phone up to their ear.
but any sort of law like this is some step into the right direction.
but any sort of law like this is some step into the right direction.
07-03-10, 06:46 PM
#11
Lexus Champion
its the cops word against yours.
this would stop people from at least talking on the cell phone while driving.....and maybe texting too....
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7059
07-04-10, 06:25 AM
#12
Super Moderator
its easy -- he says he saw you texting = guilty = ticket
its the cops word against yours.
this would stop people from at least talking on the cell phone while driving.....and maybe texting too....
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7059
its the cops word against yours.
this would stop people from at least talking on the cell phone while driving.....and maybe texting too....
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7059
Also, would texting apply to say an ipod or to some PDA that's not hooked up wirelessly.
I actually like the law on the books given the problems we have here in Florida.
07-04-10, 12:50 PM
#13
Lexus Fanatic
its easy -- he says he saw you texting = guilty = ticket
its the cops word against yours.
this would stop people from at least talking on the cell phone while driving.....and maybe texting too....
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7059
its the cops word against yours.
this would stop people from at least talking on the cell phone while driving.....and maybe texting too....
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7059
07-04-10, 03:08 PM
#14
The only way I could see this is if they went to the phone records, I'm not sure how texting is recorded on a cell phone bill.
Also, would texting apply to say an ipod or to some PDA that's not hooked up wirelessly.
I actually like the law on the books given the problems we have here in Florida.
Also, would texting apply to say an ipod or to some PDA that's not hooked up wirelessly.
I actually like the law on the books given the problems we have here in Florida.
07-05-10, 12:42 PM
#15
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Posts: n/a
That's exactly how they would be able to prove it. Honestly imo, it shouldn't even be brought to court. If you were caught texting and driving, a ticket should be mailed to you with the infraction/fine/and proof that you were texting and driving. Cell phone companies do retain information as to when you send and receive texts, so it wouldn't be a problem for a cop to just be able to attain the 'time' at which the texting was done.
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