In Georgia, it's against the law to text while driving. Georgia is among 30 states that ban text messaging behind the wheel, and with good reason. Cell phone use while driving accounts for 6% of all accidents, or 636,000 crashes, according to the Harvard Center of Risk Analysis. Additionally, cell phone use accounts for nearly 12,000 serious injuries and 2,600 fatalities each year nationwide.
Text messaging while driving is a blatant form of negligence, in which drivers' eyes are taken off the road and at least one hand is taken off the wheel. In many states, police officers actually have a category on car accident report forms that accounts for text messaging in the form of "phone/electronic" distraction. This is how states account for much of their text messaging crash data.
Text messaging falls under the umbrella of "distracted driving," which is receiving growing attention both in Georgia and at the national level. Last fall, a Distracted Driving Summit was hosted by the Department of Transportation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently developing a project to aid states in distracted driver enforcement. Washington was the first state to adopt a texting ban in May 2007, and in the 3 years since, 29 other states have followed suit.
For now, Georgia is still allowing drivers over the age of 18 to talk on a cell phone while driving, but those under 18 are not permitted to use a cell phone at all. Even though it is technically legal, the Governor's Highway Safety Association in Georgia strongly recommends no cell phone use while driving, whether a law prohibits it or not.
You can learn more about the most common types of negligent driving (which includes texting and cell phone use) by visiting our article library.
When to Contact an Atlanta Car Accident Attorney
If you are the victim of someone else's negligence or carelessness, whether in a traffic accident or some other type of accident, you have certain rights guaranteed by law. To help you understand these rights and seek the compensation you may be eligible for to help get your life back in order, contact the Atlanta Law Offices of Sheryl L. Burke for a no-cost consultation on your injury case.
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